It’s official! A ‘Dirty Dancing’ sequel starring Jennifer Grey is in the works

Jennifer Grey and the late Patrick Swayze stole our hearts as young lovers when Dirty Dancing hit the silver screen back in 1987, and now the classic film is getting a sequel.

Lionsgate has announced that a Dirty Dancing sequel is officially happening. Lionsgate CEO John Feltheimer confirmed the highly-anticipated sequel is going ahead with Grey starring in and executive producing the film. There’s no word yet on who else will be starring in it, but American director Jonathan Levine will be directing the film.

Feltheimer told Deadline the new movie will be very much like the original, saying: “It will be exactly the kind of romantic, nostalgic movie that the franchise’s fans have been waiting for and that have made it the biggest-selling library title in the company’s history”

The first Dirty Dancing movie was released in 1987 and it didn’t take long before it became a classic around the world. The film stars Grey as the heroine, Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman, and Swayze as hunky dance instructor Johnny Castle, and the pair fall in love. The movie won an Oscar and Golden Globe for the original song ‘(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life’ and grossed $218 million at the global box office.

And this won’t be the first time we’ve seen a sequel to or remake of Dirty Dancing. In 2004, we had Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, which saw Swayze reprise his role as Johnny Castle in a cameo, and in 2017 we had Dirty Dancing, a made-for-TV remake starring Abigail Breslin.

Though no official release date has been announced, public opinion is divided. Many people have since taken to social media to voice their opinions, with Twitter user @jenhernandez writing: “Such a great film!!”

However, others seemed concerned about going ahead with a remake without Swayze, with @DiscussingFilm writing: “Patrick Swayze was THE Dirty Dancing. Can they replicate him? I don’t think so.”

Twitter user @RonGOfficial agreed, saying: “A Dirty Dancing movie with Baby only? No thanks. Patrick Swayze is being disrespected right now.” And @awayigo wrote: “This is not a good idea. Without Patrick Swayze, it will just be sad.”