Forthcoming Sequel to DIRTY DANCING Sets Jonathan Levine as Director

Dirty Dancing Sequel To Be Directed By Jonathan Levine

The 1987 smash-hit, Dirty Dancing, is now getting a worthy sequel which will be helmed by filmmaker Jonathan Levine.

In 1987, movie audiences had “the time of their lives” watching the $64 million grossing blockbuster hit from the now defunct Vestron Pictures, Dirty Dancing. A lot has changed since then. For one Vestron Pictures’ film was acquired by Lionsgate and two of the original film’s stars (Patrick Swayze and Jerry Orbach) are now deceased. However, Baby, herself, will not be “put in a corner” and the actress who played her, Jennifer Grey, will be returning for the long-awaited sequel to the blockbuster hit. Jonathan Levine (Long Shot) has been chosen as the director of the ambitious project which has audiences wondering how this follow-up film will be successfully pulled off.

It’s not that filmmakers haven’t tried a spin-off of Dirty Dancing before. They just haven’t been able to do it to the tune of lucrative box-office dollars. In 2004, a movie was made called Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights which crashed and burned in theaters with a middling $14 million domestic gross. The movie earned a disappointing “B” CinemaScore and the franchise was thought to be officially dead especially considering the first film has a glowing “A-” CinemaScore mark. It seems the filmmakers of this upcoming sequel would like to forget that 2004 picture.

Leave it in the hands of Levine, the man who made the great 2019 movie, Long Shot (which starred Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen), to make things right with the forthcoming official sequel to the beloved 1987 movie. It’s a big job but many believe Levine is more than up to the task of bringing back that magical feeling people had while watching the original Dirty Dancing. It has been reported that other characters from the original film may return in some shape or form in the upcoming movie sequel. Discussions may even take place with the estate of the beloved Swayze, an actor who was gone way before his time.

Jennifer Grey will be playing a fully grown “Baby” (which was her character’s nickname in the first movie) in Levine’s project and the prospect of Grey coming back into stardom promises to bring fans back to theaters to see her reprise her famed role. This film is most likely going to start filming this year and has “hungry eyes” for a 2024 release date. It will feature a summer theme and focus on romance once again.

Most fans have been eager to know what type of music Levine’s film will showcase. It seems there are a lot of years which have passed since the first movie which means 90’s music and hip hop songs are officially on the table and some artists’ names have been released whose songs might be in the picture. Alanis Morrissette and Liz Phair’s songs could be in the mix but it’s too early to be certain at this particular time.

In any event, audiences will be “dirty dancing” in the aisles if this film duplicates the success of the first picture. Jennifer Grey is “like the wind” and should blow the film’s audience back to theaters to see it upon its release.

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