Sashaying across the screen February 2024 is a sequel to the 1987 box office hit Dirty Dancing, and truth be told, if there was ever a time for our favorite love story to dance its way back into our lives, it’s now.
Starring the original Jennifer Grey as Frances “Baby” Houseman, the film will be based in the 90s, three decades after the story between Baby and Johnny began.
Will the Dirty Dancing Sequel Be Similar to the Original?
The memory of the original Dirty Dancing scenes will be brought to life by including the iconic soundtrack and Oscar-winning song, The Time of My Life. Baby will also be going back to Kellerman’s Resort in a story full of young love and dance. Could we be seeing a walk down memory lane, or a lesson for the younger generation on how to defy the odds by flying through the air? It is unknown.
However, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer described the remake by saying, “It will be exactly the kind of romantic, nostalgic movie that the franchise’s fans have been waiting for, and that has made it the biggest-selling library title in the company’s history”.
In the film’s first 1987 release, 17-year-old Baby visits the Kellerman’s Resort for a fun, rather easy, summer vacation. To her surprise, after stumbling upon a secret “dirty dancing” party for the resort staff, the fun would begin. Baby hides behind the cracked door to their perspiring party and spies on the staff and Johnny, played by Patrick Swayze. The two are soon introduced and Baby falls head over heels for the dance instructor, but not without some tears along the way.
Though her dancing skill was minimal, Baby volunteers to take Johnny’s partner Penny’s place when she when had to step away from the resort talent show due to an abortion. Her feelings got the best of her, but Baby quickly learned from Johnny, and soon those feelings would grow into not only an epic dance routine but love between the both of them. Her father may not have agreed with Johnny’s assumed reputation, but by the end of the summer, he realizes what is right.
What are the Themes of Dirty Dancing?
In opening up to Women’s Day on her feelings about the overall concept of the film, Grey shares what she believes Dirty Dancing represents, saying, “It’s the idea that transformation is possible with the synergy that happens when somebody else sees something in you that you don’t see, or that you wish someone else could see, and that they don’t change you, but the connection creates an opening, a possibility that we are all more than we thought we would be in that limited idea.”
Grey continued to share her thoughts on the upcoming remake and its production once it was confirmed in 2020 that a sequel was on its way, adding, “But I do know that it’s very important to me that certain things are represented, that life is not over and sexuality and pleasure and satisfaction and feeling very alive and excited about what’s coming has got to continue. It cannot be just for the young. It’s about how many times can we recognize that we’ve given up again on ourselves and that there’s more to be excited about, to discover about ourselves, and it’s not over until it’s over.”
Who Will Produce the Sequel?
The original Dirty Dancing grossed $214 million at the box office and was the first film to sell more than a million home copies. Fans loved the sparks between Baby and Johnny in their steamy dance scenes, and how could you not when a 6’ man catches you in midair during a romantic dance? It’s the fantasy neither of the sexes knows they crave!
The long-awaited sequel isn’t only keeping viewers on their toes. Grey, who is also co-producing the film, is just as in awe of its existence as fans are. What’s more, she got excitedly candid with People in 2022 about the upcoming film saying, “It was lightning in a bottle, it’s like this thing happened, and it’s so beautiful, and I can’t explain it. No one can explain it. We’re working on this sequel, I’m working on it with Lionsgate and working on the script. We’ve been working on it for a couple of years.”
How Will the Sequel Honor Patrick Swayze?
It is unknown who the cast will comprise. We do unfortunately know that beloved Patrick Swayze will not be in a leading role due to his 2009 passing; however, director Jonathan Levine told Deadline that there may likely be a tribute to him.
Although we won’t be seeing a blossoming love between Baby and Johnny again, it is clear that the film’s remake will be just as inspiring and enchanting as its first, as Grey tells EW, “I’m just super committed and invested in making it a fresh [take]. What happened happened, and that will never happen again. There will never be another ‘Johnny.’ There will never be another Patrick. This sequel has got to be its own standalone piece. It’s very tricky”.
The loss of Swayze will inevitably leave viewers in an overflow of emotions, as will the remake in its entirety. However, while the cast and directors aim to meet the success of the original Dirty Dancing, we might as well lace up our ballet slippers, because Baby is ready to dance.
