Dirty Dancing star Jennifer Grey offers a hopeful update about the beloved film’s long-awaited sequel. A follow-up to the hit 1987 romantic drama was announced in 2020, with Grey attached to the project as a star and executive producer. Dirty Dancing 2 was set for a 2024 release date, but production was delayed due to the Hollywood strikes. There have been few updates regarding the anticipated film since then. During the BFI London Film Festival (via Variety) premiere for Grey’s latest project, A Real Pain, the actress shared:
“I can’t tell you much about Dirty Dancing as I’m not going to make promises. I’m just waiting for them to really nail it down as it has to be right. We can push that aside until we next time we speak when it hopefully will all be ironed out.”
Although fans of the 1987 film may have to wait a bit longer for the sequel, knowing that Grey and the team are committed to honoring the original film should ease some anticipation. Directed by Emile Ardolino, Dirty Dancing centered on Grey’s Frances “Baby” Houseman, a young woman on vacation with her family at a Catskills resort in 1963, who falls in love with the camp’s dance instructor, Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze). The film won big at the box office, grossing over $200 million against a $5 million budget.
The first film remains a romantic favorite with a memorable soundtrack and dance scenes, with Dirty Dancing also spawning two other films: 2004’s Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights and a 2017 remake with Abigail Breslin and Colt Prattes as Baby and Johnny. Unfortunately, both films failed to live up to the 1987 film, disappointing critics and audiences. Here’s hoping that Dirty Dancing 2 finds a better rhythm.
What We Know About the Dirty Dancing Sequel
Jonathan Levine, whose directorial credits include 50/50, Warm Bodies, and Long Shot, is set to direct the upcoming sequel. Grey is currently the only actor attached to the project, but in 2022, she shared that some other original cast members would return and that Dirty Dancing 2 would take place in the same location as the prior movie:
“I would say that you can count on it being at Kellerman’s, returning to Kellerman’s, and Baby, quite a few years older. You will see other characters that are from the original. It’s tricky and also exciting.”
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Of course, things could have changed since those previous comments, but seeing Kelly Bishop back as Baby’s mom, Marjorie, would be such a nostalgic treat. Sadly, Patrick Swayze passed away in 2009 after a battle with cancer, so we know the romantic arc from the first film will have to be reimagined. We’ll have to wait to see Baby back on the dance floor and see what old and new friends she brings along. In the meantime, Grey’s latest project, A Real Pain, is in theaters. The Jesse Eisenberg-directed comedy-drama stars Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin as mismatched cousins who take a tour through Poland to honor their grandmother.
Madge flies to Peru for a vacation, and meets alpaca farmer Jorge. While their romance blossoms so too does their love for the dance.