New 'Dirty Dancing' Movie Confirmed With 'High School Musical' Director
Lionsgate announced Tuesday that the famous 1987 movie “Dirty Dancing” will be remade. “High School Musical” director Kenny Ortega will direct, but a cast has not yet been announced.
Interestingly, Ortega was the choreographer of the original “Dirty Dancing” film. The 61-year-old, in addition to directing the “High-School Musical” movies, did the posthumous documentary “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” and was behind Sarah Jessica Parker’s 1993 Halloween movie “Hocus Pocus.” Ortega dropped out of his deal to remake “Footloose” this year.
In a statement to EW.com, Ortega said, “The opportunity to direct ‘Dirty Dancing’ is like returning home for me… Patrick Swayze set the bar for men dancing in the movies as Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire did before him. I believe everywhere you look there is evidence that the talent is out there and I can’t wait to begin the process of discovering the next breakout triple-threats.”
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The original “Dirty Dancing” was directed by Emile Ardolino. The film was hugely successful, and earned $214 million in worldwide box office sales.
The soundtrack featured “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” performed by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, and was a best-seller.
Taking place in the 1960’s, the original movie also included songs “Hungry Eyes” and “She’s Like The Wind.”
The rebooted love story of Jennifer Grey’s character Baby and Johnny Castle, Patrick Swayze’s role, will incorporate the same music.
“Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights” was an unsuccessful sequel in 2004, but Lionsgate feels confident about their remake project.
Debra Martin Chase, who produced “The Princess Diaries,” is producing the remake with Ortega, and Eleanor Bergstein, who wrote and co-produced the original film, is discussing doing the new “Dirty Dancing.”
Although actors for the new movie have not yet been determined, a MTV “Hollywood Crush” blogger requested that Ortega cast “Crazy, Stupid, Love” star Ryan Gosling as the lead role.
“Dirty Dancing” fans anxiously await more announcements about the remake, and the topic continues to trend on Twitter.
