LOS ANGELES, February 29, 2024 — Get ready to return to Kellerman’s: a Dirty Dancing sequel is officially in the works, with Jennifer Grey set to reprise her iconic role as Frances “Baby” Houseman. After years of speculation, the project is gaining momentum with key creative personnel now attached.
A New Chapter for Baby
The follow-up to the 1987 classic will see Jennifer Grey return as Baby, with a new script and production team.
What happened to Baby after that summer at Kellerman’s? That’s the question fans have been asking for decades, and now, a sequel promises to finally deliver answers.
Producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson, known for their work on The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, will oversee the film. Kim Rosenstock, the writer behind Dying for Sex, is penning the script. Grey expressed her excitement about the project, stating, “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!”
Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson emphasized the importance of assembling the right team for the sequel. “Dirty Dancing remains as beloved today as it was upon its initial release, and we knew that a very special group of people would have to come together for fans to embrace a return to Kellerman’s,” Fogelson said. “We are beyond thrilled to announce we have assembled the perfect team to carry this film forward in partnership with Jennifer Grey. There are no better producers for this movie than our longtime partners and friends Nina and Brad, and we could not be more excited to have Kim coming on board to write.”
Jacobson echoed this sentiment, adding, “Dirty Dancing is that rare film that is as emotional, exhilarating and rebellious today as it was the year it was released. To be able to work with Jennifer Grey and Lionsgate on the sequel is a genuine joy for Brad and me. We feel so fortunate to have been invited back to Kellerman’s for one more dance.”
While Jonathan Levine was previously attached to direct, he will now serve as an executive producer on the project. A new director has not yet been announced. Production is slated to begin later this year, promising a theatrical release that aims to capture the magic, music, and emotion of the original for both longtime fans and a new generation.
- A Dirty Dancing sequel is officially moving forward with Jennifer Grey reprising her role.
- Producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson, of The Hunger Games fame, are overseeing the project.
- Kim Rosenstock, writer of Dying for Sex, is writing the script.
- Production is expected to begin later in 2024.
