Dirty Dancing Star Won't Do Sequel "Unless It's Perfect"

A direct sequel to the original Dirty Dancing was announced last year, but according to original star Jennifer Grey, who is also attached to both star in and executive produce the sequel, the project won't move forward if it doesn't find the "perfect" way to honor not just the legacy of the original movie, but specifically the legacy of Patrick Swayze. When the project was announced, it touted a February 2024 release date, but Grey confirmed that dates on when the project will start moving forward in earnest are being kept vague, as she wants to make sure the priority is the story as opposed to hitting a release date.

"We're not giving up any dates at the moment because... really, what I'm doing, my whole job with this, is to get it right, get it really right, in Patrick's honor, in honor of all of the fans' relationship with the movie. If you're going to do that movie again, it has to be right," Grey recently shared on Good Morning America. "It's definitely happening. I'm very excited to say that. It's something I refuse to do unless it's perfect, so I'm doing my very best to make sure we honor it."

While the film already earned the spiritual continuation with Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, that movie doesn't feature any direct connections to the 1987 movie. The upcoming film is set to offer a glimpse in the future of Grey's Baby and Swayze's Johnny.

After the announcement that the sequel would be heading into development, Warm Bodies and 50/50 director was tapped to serve as director.

"We are about to talk to people and are exploring that," Levine revealed to Deadline. "The most important thing for us was having Jennifer on board. She is an invaluable collaborator. We're going to try to involve as many people from the original as is appropriate. We want to be respectful in every way."  

The original movie became a breakout performance for Swayze, who passed away in 2009.

"Johnny is a part of Baby's journey in the story," Levine confirmed of the approach to the new movie. "This film exists in a dialogue with the original. We want to introduce this story to a whole new generation. That said, Johnny's absence looms large over the story, so it's a coming-of-age story but also a coming-of-age for Baby's character in a way."  

Stay tuned for details on the Dirty Dancing sequel.

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