It’s official, the sequel to Dirty Dancing has found its director

We have news about the sequel to the cult Dirty Dancing, directed 35 years ago by Emile Ardolino, who died in 1993. This time, it’s official, it’s Jonathan Levine who will be directing the project. The director notably signed 50/50, The Night Before or Seduce me if you can!, and we can therefore expect a step aside for this improbable sequel. Very involved in this project, he is also the producer and co-wrote the screenplay with Elizabeth Chomko. Levine has confirmed that Jennifer Grey, the original “Baby” of the first film, will be there as well as other members of the original cast and will return to the Catskills. “We are going to involve as many people as possible from the original film. We want to be respectful. […] To all the longtime fans, I promise you we won’t ruin your childhood. We will fulfill our mission with sophistication, ambition and above all love”, detailed the future director during the presentation of the film at CinemaCon. He also hinted that original tracks from the 1987 film will also make a comeback. Regarding the absence of Patrick Swayze, who died in 2009, Jonathan Levine remained quite vague: “Johnny is part of Baby’s journey in this story. The film dialogues with the original. We want to introduce this story to a new generation. That being said, Johnny’s absence will figure prominently in the film. It’s a coming-of-age story.” When it was released, Dirty Dancing had grossed nearly $218 million at the worldwide box office at a production cost of $5 million. “Dirty Dancing’s worst-kept secret “Hollywood will be exactly the kind of nostalgic romantic comedy that fans of the franchise have been waiting for that has made it the highest-grossing film in our portfolio,” said Jon Feltheimer, CEO of Lionsgate, which owns the film rights. this sequel is planned for 2024.