Dirty Dancing Sequel Officially Sets Filming Window With Jennifer Grey Returning As Iconic Role

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I’m so excited! It’s happening – they’re actually making a sequel to Dirty Dancing, and Jennifer Grey is coming back! It feels like a dream come true after all these years, and I can’t wait to see what they do with it.

As a huge fan of the original Dirty Dancing – the one with Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze that came out in ’87 and is just a timeless romance – I was so excited when they announced a sequel back in 2020, with Jennifer Grey involved as both a star and producer. But honestly, it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster ever since. They initially aimed for a 2024 release, then pushed it to 2025, and now it feels like the whole project is stuck in limbo. It’s getting to the point where I’m starting to wonder if we’ll ever actually see a Dirty Dancing 2 happen.

Lionsgate has confirmed that a sequel to Dirty Dancing is officially happening and will start filming later this year. Jennifer Grey will return as Baby and also help produce the film. Emmy-nominated writer Kim Rosenstock is working on the script, and Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson, known for The Hunger Games, will also be producers. Adam Fogelson, head of Lionsgate’s film division, expressed the studio’s excitement about working with Grey, Rosenstock, Jacobson, and Simpson. His full statement is included below.

Everyone still loves Dirty Dancing, so we knew bringing it back to the big screen required an incredible team. We’re excited to announce we’ve assembled just that, working alongside Jennifer Grey. We couldn’t ask for better producers than Nina and Brad, who we’ve worked with on The Hunger Games, and we’re thrilled to have Kim writing the script. With this fantastic team in place, we’re moving forward quickly to share the magic, music, and emotion of Dirty Dancing with both longtime fans and a new generation.

Both Grey and Jacobson shared their thoughts on the film. The actor discussed the significance of her character, Baby, and explained the delay in making a sequel. The producer then expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to revisit the world of the film, playfully calling it ‘one more dance at Kellerman’s’.

Playing Baby in ‘Dirty Dancing’ has always been incredibly special to me, and clearly to a lot of fans. I’ve often thought about what happened to her character after the first movie, and what her life would be like. It’s taken a while to find the right team to create a sequel that honors the original, but I’m thrilled to announce that we’re finally getting close to sharing it with everyone!

Nina Jacobson says Dirty Dancing remains a powerfully moving, exciting, and unconventional film, just as it was when it first came out. She and Brad are thrilled to be working with Jennifer Grey and Lionsgate on a sequel, and they’re delighted to return to Kellerman’s for another story.

Jennifer Grey is returning to her iconic role in a Dirty Dancing sequel, but a big question remains: how will the film handle the absence of Patrick Swayze, who played Johnny and passed away in 2009? Grey has said she wanted to carefully assemble a trustworthy team for the project, suggesting the story will find a respectful way to acknowledge Swayze and his character.

According to Fogelson, producers Jacobson and Simpson have a strong relationship with Lionsgate, built on their work with The Hunger Games films. Jacobson has produced all of the movies in the series, and Simpson joined the franchise with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Both are currently producing the next Hunger Games film, Sunrise on the Reaping, set to release November 20th, and are also executive producers on Ryan Murphy’s upcoming series, Love Story: John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.

Before working on the Dirty Dancing sequel, Rosenstock helped create the Hulu series Dying for Sex, which featured Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate. She also worked as a writer and executive producer on popular shows like Only Murders in the Building, GLOW, Single Parents, and New Girl. Her work on Dying for Sex earned her Emmy nominations for both Outstanding Limited Series and Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series or Movie.

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2026-01-27 20:19