The Internet had the time of its life bashing plans for a new Dirty Dancing when Lionsgate announced it would remake the ’80s classic earlier this week. Perhaps that teeth-gnashing was slightly premature; according to director Kenny Ortega, Dirty Dancing is likely to stay in the corner for quite a while before heading to theaters.
“We have a big challenge and a long road ahead of us,” Oretga told TheInsider.com. “All I can say is that I hope we can bring something unique and original to help change the naysayers minds about the film.”
That would likely start with a script, though the film reportedly doesn’t have one of those. Nor are there any reported casting ideas, though Ortega knows what he doesn’t want.
“I’m not looking for someone to fill Patrick Swayze’s shoes, or Jennifer Grey’s shoes. They’re one of a kind and they deserve to be called that.”
“Yes!” shout all of the lapsed Dirty Dancing fans who barely gave the original film a second thought before this week’s remake announcement. From the sounds of it, you may want to pencil in the Dirty Dancing reboot for sometime 2013, at the earliest; let’s agree to reconvine here when Dianna Agron gets cast as Baby.
· ‘DIRTY DANCING’ REMAKE DIRECTOR SPEAKS! [TheInsider.com]
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While most diehard Dirty Dancing fans still haven’t warmed to the idea of Lionsgate remaking the Patrick Swayze classic (even if original choreographer Kenny Ortega will be directing), Jennifer Grey is already embracing the project. Click through to see what Baby herself has to say about the reboot.
A day after it was announced that Lionsgate is fast tracking Dirty Dancing 2.0 with Ortega at the helm, Grey took to her Twitter to comment, “I love @Kennyortega and trust that he will do something special #DirtyDancingRemake.” After being besieged by fans commenting on the remake, Grey added, “Blown away by all of the love expressed for #DirtyDancing. Makes me want to see it again. So grateful to have been a part of it.”
Grey also released the following statement via her publicist:
“I’m so excited about this news and I think there’s nobody better to do this than my beloved Kenny Ortega who is as responsible as anyone for the success of the first one. I can’t wait to see what he’s going to do with it.”
Now, if only she would comment on our preliminary casting choices.
On Monday, Ortega told Entertainment Weekly that “the opportunity to direct Dirty Dancing is like returning home for me.”
[via @JenniferGrey]
· Jennifer Grey is ‘Excited’ for the ‘Dirty Dancing’ Remake [WSJ]
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Over twenty years ago, Kenny Ortega choreographed the Patrick Swayze-Jennifer Grey classic Dirty Dancing and now, because we can’t go a week without a remake announcement, Lionsgate is planning on rebooting the title, this time with Ortega at the helm. Get out of that corner and check out more details ahead.
According to Deadline, Lionsgate is in talks with the This Is It director to oversee the remake. In addition to designing the actual dirty dancing moves that made the film famous — Ortega choreographed a number of other ’80s hits including St. Elmo’s Fire, Pretty in Pink and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Before This Is It, Ortega directed all three of the High School Musical movies.
This new film will have nothing to do with the ill-fated Dirty Dancing sequel Havana Nights, which grossed a mere $27.7 million worldwide back in 2004.
· Kenny Ortega Comes Full Circle To Direct ‘Dirty Dancing’ Reboot [Deadline]
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