Director Jonathan Levine Shares Plot Details and Music Choices for His DIRTY DANCING Sequel
Director Jonathan Levine, best known for his films 50/50 and Warm Bodies as well as the series Nine Perfect Strangers, has signed on to direct the sequel to the 1987 classic, Dirty Dancing. The follow-up film will welcome back Jennifer Grey in the role of Frances “Baby” Houseman. As the original movie took place in the 60s, this film will see Baby return to Kellerman’s in the 1990s.
“Like the original, the sequel will be a coming-of-age romance centered on the experience of a young woman at the summer camp, but Baby’s own journey will intertwine with this to create a multi-layered narrative.”
Levine is directing the sequel, which is being co-written with Elizabeth Chomko. The cast is expected to be a combination of newcomers and name actors. The director has stated that Jennifer Grey may not be the only face from the original to return.
It will be fun to see Grey and hopefully some of the other cast members return. The late Patrick Swayze will surely be missed, but hopefully they make something special out of the new story. “Johnny is a part of Baby’s journey in the story,” Levine told Deadline.
He went on to add:
“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.”
The movie’s music will will range from songs from the original movie (Hungry Eyes is among the songs set to return) to ‘90s hip-hop. Levine also name-checked Alanis Morisette and Liz Phair as artists whose songs could potentially feature.
Dirty Dancing, the sequel, is expected to hit theaters in 2024.