Jennifer Grey to Reprise Role as Baby in 'Dirty Dancing' Sequel
The film will be set in the 1990s and will include a nod to the late Patrick Swayze, with producers confirming no AI recreation of the actor.
Jennifer Grey is set to reprise her iconic role as Frances "Baby" Houseman in a sequel to the 1987 film "Dirty Dancing." The new movie will be set in the 1990s, with Grey, now 66, surrounded by a new cast of young performers.
Producer Nina Jacobson stated that the sequel aims to honor the original film and its stars, including Patrick Swayze, who died in 2009. "Don't worry, we won’t be bringing him back with AI," Jacobson confirmed, emphasizing a respectful approach to commemorating the late actor. She added that Grey offers valuable insights into the enduring appeal of her character and the original film.
The goal for the sequel is to "chase the feeling of that original movie" and tell a young love story that "could take some of those risks but also inspire those feelings," Jacobson explained.
The original "Dirty Dancing" became a box office sensation after its 1987 release. A subsequent television series aired on CBS in 1988 but was canceled after eleven episodes. In 2004, "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights," a prequel starring Diego Luna, was released but was met with poor reviews and box office performance despite a cameo from Swayze.
Over the years, "Dirty Dancing" has also inspired several reality television adaptations, including "Dirty Dancing: Living the Dream" in 2006, "Dirty Dancing: The Time of Your Life" in the UK, and "The Real Dirty Dancing" in Australia and later in the US and UK in 2019 and 2022. A made-for-TV movie remake starring Abigail Breslin as Baby and Nicole Scherzinger as Penny was released in 2017.