Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner: Jennifer Grey Returning for Dirty Dancing Sequel
According to Deadline, Jennifer Grey is gearing up for another go as Frances “Baby” Houseman in Lionsgate’s Dirty Dancing sequel. The actress will also serve as executive producer on the project. Warm Bodies director Jonathan Levine is “shepherding” the film alongside Gillian Bohrer from a screenplay by Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis.
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The original Dirty Dancing released in 1987 and starred Patrick Swayze and Grey as star-crossed would-be lovers who unite to perform the last big dance of the summer despite the disapproval of the latter’s father. Directed by Emile Ardolino, the film would go on to gross $218 million at the global box office against a $5 million budget and land a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for its song “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.” The two leads also earned Golden Globe nominations for their performances.
“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,” said Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer during the company’s earnings call.
The studio previously made a sequel in 2004 titled Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights that starred Diego Luna, Romola Garai, January Jones, John Slattery and Sela Ward. The film was poorly received by critics and audiences and fizzled at the box office with a meager $28 million worldwide haul.
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Grey has appeared in TV shows such as The Conners, Grey’s Anatomy, Red Oaks and House, among others. Along with Dirty Dancing, she is most regarded for her roles in the 80s hits Red Dawn and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
