In news that's sure to brighten your 2021, Jennifer Grey, aka Frances 'Baby' Houseman, is set to star in a new Dirty Dancingfilm thirty-years on from the original smash-hit, E! Newsreports.
The actress, who appeared in the original 1987 film, has also signed on to executive produce, while the upcoming project will be developed and produced by Jonathan Levine. Its details and plot are still under wraps, but we do know it will centre on Baby in her 50s.
"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," Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer said in the announcement.
The film, starring Grey and the late Patrick Swayze, catapulted the two to worldwide fame, namely thanks to their undeniable on-screen chemistry. Baby and Johnny's iconic final dance at the posh Catskills resort continues to be a source of inspiration for other rom-coms today, including Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling's recreation in Crazy Stupid Love.
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The newest film certainly has some big shoes to fill, with the original winning an Oscar and Golden Globe for the original song (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life by Frank Previte, John DeNicola and Donald Markowitz. It was also nominated at the Globes for Best Comedy/Musical, with both Grey and Swayze receiving individual nominations.
It's also not the first time the cult classic is being reimagined. In 2004, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights was released, set in a pre-revolution Cuba, and notably, Swayze made a cameo as a dance teacher in the project.
ABC later created a three-hour live musical adaptation in 2015, with Abigail Breslin, Debra Messing, Sarah Hyland, Nicole Scherzinger and more celebrities starring.
Put on your dancing shoes!
Grace BackGrace Back is a journalist and was formerly the Digital Culture Editor across ELLE and marie claire Australia. When not stuck in a seemingly endless Instagram scroll, you'll find Grace with her head in a good book.
