NEED TO KNOW
Jennifer Grey is reprising her role as Frances "Baby" Houseman in a sequel to Dirty Dancing
Dying for Sex co-creator Kim Rosenstock will pen the script
Production on the Dirty Dancing sequel is set to start later this year
Grab a watermelon and get ready to return to Kellerman's!
Nearly 40 years since the originalDirty Dancingcha-chaed into theaters,Jennifer Greyconfirmed on Jan. 27 that she will reprise her role as Frances "Baby" Houseman in an upcoming legacy sequel to the 1987 classic.
"We are moving full steam ahead so that both existing fans and new audiences can discover the magic, the music and the emotion that isDirty Dancingin a new theatrical film meant for the big screen," Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chairman Adam Fogelson said in a statement.
Dirty Dancing's popularity endures, decades after its release, and in 2020, Grey told PEOPLE that the movie's "appeal was that it was verygenuine and simple."
"It was about innocence and the way that innocence is lost and how people explode into a different iteration of themselves," she said about the coming-of-age classic.
Here's everything we know so far aboutDirty Dancing 2.
What willDirty Dancing 2be about?
The plot for theDirty Dancingsequel remains under wraps, butDying for Sexcreator Kim Rosenstock will pen the script.
The upcoming installment will be from Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson, who producedThe Hunger GamesandCrazy Rich Asians.
"Dirty Dancingis that rare film that is as emotional, exhilarating, and rebellious today as it was the year it was released," Jacobson said in a statement. "To be able to work with Jennifer Grey and Lionsgate on the sequel is a genuine joy for Brad and me. We feel so fortunate to have been invited back to Kellerman's for one more dance."
While plot details are unknown, when the sequel wasfirst announcedin August 2020, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer toldDeadlinethat the film would 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."
Who will be in theDirty Dancing 2cast?
Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty; Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
A full cast has not been announced for theDirty Dancingsequel, but Grey will be returning to reprise her role as Frances "Baby" Houseman from the original.
"The role of Baby has held a very deep and meaningful place in my heart, as it has in the hearts of so many fans over the years," the actress said in a statement.
"I've long wondered where we might find Baby years later and what her life might be like," she continued. "But it's taken time to assemble the kind of people that I felt could be entrusted to build on the legacy of the original film ... and I'm excited to say that it looks like the wait will soon be over!"
Grey'sDirty Dancingcostar,Patrick Swayze, died in 2009 of pancreatic cancer. When asked about making a sequel without him, Grey told PEOPLE, "All I can say is there is no replacing anyone who's passed."
"You never try to repeat anything that's magic like that," she said. "You just go for something different."
Who is directingDirty Dancing 2?
A director for theDirty Dancingsequel has not been confirmed.
When the project was announced in 2020, Jonathan Levine was attached as director, but he will now serve as an executive producer, according toThe Hollywood Reporter.
When isDirty Dancing 2being filmed?
Snap/Shutterstock
Production on theDirty Dancingsequel is set to begin later in 2026.
Filming locations for the sequel have not been revealed, but the original was shot at Mountain Lake Lodge in Virginia and Lake Lure in North Carolina, according toThe New York Times.
When isDirty Dancing 2coming out?
Vestron/Kobal/Shutterstock
A release date has not been announced for theDirty Dancingsequel.
Where can I watch the originalDirty Dancing?
1987'sDirty Dancingis available for digital rental and purchase on various platforms, includingApple TVandPrime Video.
The movie will be available to stream onTubistarting Feb. 1.
Read the original article onPeople