Classic Patrick Swayze Movie Getting Sequel 40 Years Later, Original Star Returning

A classic Patrick Swayze movie is getting a surprise sequel 40 years later, with one of its original stars returning to the film.

What Patrick Swayze movie is getting a sequel?

The 1987 romantic drama Dirty Dancing is getting a new sequel, Lionsgate announced this week. In a new announcement, Hunger Games and Crazy Rich Asians producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson have been brought on to oversee a sequel, which will be written by Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Kim Rosenstock.

Jennifer Grey, who played Frances “Baby” Houseman in the original film, will return to reprise her role, and will also executive produce the film alongside Jonathan Levine. In a statement on the news, Grey said she was excited to step back into the role, which had always had a “deep and meaningful place” in her heart.

“The role of Baby has held a very deep and meaningful place in my heart, as it has in the hearts of so many fans over the years. I’ve long wondered where we might find Baby years later and what her life might be like, but it’s taken time to assemble the kind of people that I felt could be entrusted to build on the legacy of the original film… and I’m excited to say that It looks like the wait will soon be over!”

The original Dirty Dancing was directed by Emile Ardolino, from a script written by Eleanor Bergstein, and starred Swayze, Grey, Jerry Orbach, and Cynthia Rhodes. The film followed the story of Grey’s Frances Houseman, who falls in love with a dancing instructor (Swayze) while on vacation with her family at a resort. The movie not only was a major success theatrically, but also saw its soundtrack earn success thanks to the single “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, which won the Academy Award Golden Globe for Best Original Song, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

In 2024, Dirty Dancing was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.” Following its success, Dirty Dancing also received a brief television series in 1988, and many reality competition shows inspired by the film have also been released. There is also a 2004 prequel, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, which starred Diego Luna.

Source: Comingsoon.net