An official legacy sequel to romance movie Dirty Dancing, with Jennifer Grey’s heavy involvement as producer and star, was first announced in August 2020. There hasn’t been too many updates since then, but it is still going ahead, and could possibly be released in 2024.
A prequel movie Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights was released in 2004 and starred Andor‘s Diego Luna, of all people. A 2017 remake starring Abigail Breslin was also released, but was not well received and Grey turned down the chance to be involved. The upcoming official sequel will see Baby returning to Kellerman’s resort in the ’90s, with her own storyline intertwining with a new romance involving a young couple at the resort. These stories will be sound-tracked by a mix of ’90s tracks and songs from the original soundtrack.
“While the original Dirty Dancing has always been one of my favorite films, I never imagined I would direct the sequel,” director and co-writer Jonathan Levine said. “Through co-writing it, I fell in love with the characters (new and old), the world of 1990s Catskills New York, and the music, which will range from songs from the original movie to ‘90s hip-hop.”
In a new interview on Good Morning America, Grey provided an update; “We’re not giving up any dates at the moment because… really, what I’m doing, my whole job with this, is to get it really right, in Patrick’s [Swayze] honour, in honour of all of the fans’ relationship with the movie. If you’re going to do that movie again, it has to be right. It’s definitely happening. I’m very excited to say that. It’s something I refuse to do unless it’s perfect, so I’m doing my very best to make sure we honour it.”
The original Dirty Dancing was released in 1987, a year after Top Gun – which of course got its own phenomenally successful sequel in 2022. Dirty Dancing has been enduringly popular ever since – with iconic lines such as “nobody puts Baby in the corner,” and “I carried a watermelon.” Dirty Dancing is a popular movie shown at outdoor events such as Secret Cinema.
While we wait to hear more about Dirty Dancing 2, check out our guide to the best musicals.