It’s taken 35 years, but Baby is once again out of the corner. A much talked-about sequel to Dirty Dancing is officially in the works, and not only will Jennifer Grey return to her iconic role as Baby that she made famous in 1987, but Warm Bodies filmmaker Jonathan Levine will direct.
The sequel, also titled Dirty Dancing, will find Frances “Baby” Houseman returning to Kellerman’s family summer camp in the 1990s. Once again, the film will be a coming-of-age romance, with Baby’s story intertwining with that of a younger woman in a multi-layered narrative.
Levine also co-wrote the script with What They Had filmmaker Elizabeth Chomko. I’m assuming there will be no reference to Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, the previous spinoff/prequel to Dirty Dancing.
And yes, there will be reference made to the late Patrick Swayze’s character, Johnny, who Baby fell for and “had the time of her life” with. Talks are underway with the Swayze estate.
“The most important thing for us was having Jennifer on board. She is an invaluable collaborator,” Levine said. “We’re going to try to involve as many people from the original as is appropriate. We want to be respectful in every way.”
“Johnny is a part of Baby’s journey in the story,” Levine said. “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.” [Deadline]
