By This is interesting news.
Lionsgate has brought aboard Hunger Games and Crazy Rich Asians producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson to oversee its highly anticipated sequel to Dirty Dancing, with studio eyeing a start of production later this year. The screenplay will be written by Emmy and Golden Globe nominee and 2025 Humanitas Prize winner Kim Rosenstock.
Dirty Dancing star Jennifer Grey will reprise her Golden Globe-nominated role as Frances “Baby” Houseman and executive produce the film. Jonathan Levine will also executive produce.
“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 Adam Fogelson, chair, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group. “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.”
Jennifer Grey added, “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. I’ve long wondered where we might find Baby years later and what her life might be like, 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!”
Nina Jacobson said, “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.”
Meredith Wieck and Maria Ascanio will oversee the project for Lionsgate. The deals were struck by Phil Strina for Lionsgate.
PGA and Emmy Award winners NINA JACOBSON AND BRAD SIMPSON / Color Force are currently producing The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping for Lionsgate, which releases in theaters on November 20, 2026. They also serve as executive producers of Ryan Murphy’s upcoming “Love Story: John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.”
KIM ROSENSTOCK is the co-creator of the hit Hulu series “Dying for Sex,” starring Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate. In addition, she is an executive producer on the Ryan Murphy series “Love Story: John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette” and previously served as a writer and producer on “Only Murders in the Building,” “GLOW,” “Single Parents,” and “New Girl.” She is represented by WME, Mosaic, and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.
