Dirty Dancing sequel starring Jennifer Grey in the works, Lionsgate confirms

Grey starred as Baby in the 1987 romantic drama

A Dirty Dancing sequel starring Jennifer Grey is in the works, it has been confirmed.

33 years after the romantic drama was first released, Grey, who played Baby in the original film, is returning to the franchise, Deadline reports.

The 60-year-old actor will also serve as an executive producer on the project, which is being helmed by Warm Bodies director Jonathan Levine and Gillian Bohrer.

Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis, the duo behind Five Feet Apart and The Curse of La LLorona, are writing the screenplay.

Speaking about the project, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer said: “It will 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.”

Released in 1987, Dirty Dancing tells the story of Frances “Baby” Houseman, a teenage girl who begins a passionate relationship with Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze), a dance instructor at a holiday camp.

The original film grossed $218m (£166m) at the global box office after costing just $5M (£3.8m) to make and won an Oscar and Golden Globe for the film's lead song, “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life”.

A spin-off film, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, was released in 2004.