“Dirty Dancing 2”: What We Know So Far About the Sequel to the Nearly 40-Year-Old Movie
- - “Dirty Dancing 2”: What We Know So Far About the Sequel to the Nearly 40-Year-Old Movie
Christopher RudolphJanuary 31, 2026 at 8:30 PM
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Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey Dirty Dancing - 1987 Vestron/Kobal/Shutterstock -
Jennifer Grey is reprising her role as Frances “Baby” Houseman in a sequel to Dirty Dancing
Dying for Sex co-creator Kim Rosenstock will pen the script
Production on the Dirty Dancing sequel is set to start later this year
Grab a watermelon and get ready to return to Kellerman's!
Nearly 40 years since the original Dirty Dancing cha-chaed into theaters, Jennifer Grey confirmed on Jan. 27 that she will reprise her role as Frances “Baby” Houseman in an upcoming legacy sequel to the 1987 classic.
"We are moving full steam ahead so that both existing fans and new audiences can discover the magic, the music and the emotion that is Dirty Dancing in a new theatrical film meant for the big screen," Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chairman Adam Fogelson said in a statement.
Dirty Dancing's popularity endures, decades after its release, and in 2020, Grey told PEOPLE that the movie's "appeal was that it was very genuine and simple."
"It was about innocence and the way that innocence is lost and how people explode into a different iteration of themselves," she said about the coming-of-age classic.
Here's everything we know so far about Dirty Dancing 2.
What will Dirty Dancing 2 be about?
Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze in 'Dirty Dancing'
vestron
The plot for the Dirty Dancing sequel remains under wraps, but Dying for Sex creator Kim Rosenstock will pen the script.
The upcoming installment will be from Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson, who produced The Hunger Games and Crazy Rich Asians.
"Dirty Dancing is that rare film that is as emotional, exhilarating, and rebellious today as it was the year it was released," Jacobson said in a statement. "To be able to work with Jennifer Grey and Lionsgate on the sequel is a genuine joy for Brad and me. We feel so fortunate to have been invited back to Kellerman’s for one more dance."
While plot details are unknown, when the sequel was first announced in August 2020, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer told Deadline that the film would be "exactly the kind of romantic, nostalgic movie that the franchise’s fans have been waiting for and that have made it the biggest-selling library title in the Company’s history."
Who will be in the Dirty Dancing 2 cast?
Jennifer Grey ; Jennifer Grey attends the 2025 Producers Guild Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on February 08, 2025 in Los Angeles
Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty; Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
A full cast has not been announced for the Dirty Dancing sequel, but Grey will be returning to reprise her role as Frances "Baby" Houseman from the original.
"The role of Baby has held a very deep and meaningful place in my heart, as it has in the hearts of so many fans over the years," the actress said in a statement.
"I’ve long wondered where we might find Baby years later and what her life might be like," she continued. "But it’s taken time to assemble the kind of people that I felt could be entrusted to build on the legacy of the original film ... and I’m excited to say that it looks like the wait will soon be over!"
Grey's Dirty Dancing costar, Patrick Swayze, died in 2009 of pancreatic cancer. When asked about making a sequel without him, Grey told PEOPLE, "All I can say is there is no replacing anyone who’s passed."
"You never try to repeat anything that’s magic like that," she said. "You just go for something different."
Who is directing Dirty Dancing 2?
Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing Snap/Shutterstock
A director for the Dirty Dancing sequel has not been confirmed.
When the project was announced in 2020, Jonathan Levine was attached as director, but he will now serve as an executive producer, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
When is Dirty Dancing 2 being filmed?
Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze in 'Dirty Dancing'
Snap/Shutterstock
Production on the Dirty Dancing sequel is set to begin later in 2026.
Filming locations for the sequel have not been revealed, but the original was shot at Mountain Lake Lodge in Virginia and Lake Lure in North Carolina, according to The New York Times.
When is Dirty Dancing 2 coming out?
Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze in 'Dirty Dancing'
Vestron/Kobal/Shutterstock
A release date has not been announced for the Dirty Dancing sequel.
Where can I watch the original Dirty Dancing?
Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze in 'Dirty Dancing' Vestron/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock
1987's Dirty Dancing is available for digital rental and purchase on various platforms, including Apple TV and Prime Video.
The movie will be available to stream on Tubi starting Feb. 1.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
