Will There Be 'Dirty Dancing 2'? Everything to Know About the Sequel — With a Major Original Star Back

The Dirty Dancing sequel is about to get in the zone!

Talk of a potential Dirty Dancing 2 began as early as 2020, when the original star Jennifer Grey was reported to be developing a secret project with Lionsgate, the studio that owns the rights to the hit romantic drama. At the time, it was revealed the film would be set in the 1990s and that Grey would take on a dual role as both lead actress and executive producer.

Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer officially confirmed the sequel to Deadline in August 2020, saying it was "one of the worst kept secrets in Hollywood."

A voiceover also announced at CinemaCon in Las Vegas in 2022: "Jennifer Grey returns to Kellerman's in the next chapter."

The plot of Dirty Dancing 2 continues to be kept tightly guarded, but Lionsgate confirmed 2025 Humanitas Prize winner Kim Rosenstock is writing the script.

Meanwhile, Feltheimer teased the sequel 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."

In a statement, Grey said the role of Baby in Dirty Dancing "has held a very deep and meaningful place in my heart, as it has in the hearts of so many fans over the years."

"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!"

The casting details are still largely under wraps, but Grey once said she would love Harry Styles to star opposite her in the Dirty Dancing sequel.

"How 'bout Shmarry Shmiles? Somebody who rhymes with Shmarry Shmiles," she shared on The Drew Barrymore Show.

Drew Barrymore responded, "Harry Styles! Yes, thank you! Yes! You're right. Harry Styles — done."

Grey's Dirty Dancing lead costar, Patrick Swayze, died of pancreatic cancer in 2009. According to the 66-year-old star, 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."

Jonathan Levine, who had previously been attached to direct the sequel, said Swayze's character would be part of Baby's journey.

"This film exists in a dialogue with the original," Levine added. "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."

Levine will serve as an executive producer alongside Grey. Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson will co-produce, while Meredith Wieck and Maria Ascanio will oversee Dirty Dancing 2 for Lionsgate.

"Dirty Dancing remains as beloved today as it was upon its initial release, and we knew that a very special group of people would have to come together for fans to embrace a return to Kellerman's," said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Chairman Adam Fogelson in a statement.

He added, "We are beyond thrilled to announce we have assembled the perfect team to carry this film forward in partnership with Jennifer Grey. There are no better producers for this movie than our longtime partners and friends Nina and Brad from The Hunger Games, and we could not be more excited to have Kim coming on board to write. With this super team now in place, 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."

Jacobson said in her own statement, "Dirty Dancing is that rare film that is as emotional, exhilarating and rebellious today as it was the year it was released. 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."

Lionsgate has not set a release date for Dirty Dancing 2 as of press time, but production is scheduled to begin in late 2026.