Jennifer Grey Is Back for a ‘Dirty Dancing’ SequelNobody Panic, Baby Is Returning

Nobody puts Baby in a corner… especially not in 2026.

Jennifer Grey has officially confirmed she’s returning as Frances “Baby” Houseman in a long-awaited sequel to Dirty Dancing, proving that nostalgia never dies, it just waits patiently for the right press release.

Grey, now 65, starred opposite Patrick Swayze in the 1987 classic, which followed Baby’s life-changing summer romance with dance instructor Johnny Castle at Kellerman’s Resort in the 1960s. Swayze died in 2009 at age 57, and his absence is the emotional elephant in the dance studio.

In a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter and PEOPLE, Grey said the role of Baby has held “a very deep and meaningful place” in her heart and in the hearts of fans everywhere.

Which tracks, because entire generations still can’t hear Hungry Eyes without feeling something.

Grey added that she’s long wondered where Baby would be years later and what her life might look like now, but waited until the right team was assembled to protect the legacy of the original film.

Translation: she was not about to let this turn into a poorly lit reboot with bad choreography and worse vibes.

RELATED: Here's How To Have The Time of Your Life At The Hotel From 'Dirty Dancing’

When Dirty Dancing hit theatres in the summer of 1987, it became a cultural juggernaut, earning $214 million worldwide and permanently changing how people feel about summer vacations, water lifts, and emotionally intense dance montages.

The film’s iconic theme song, (I've Had) The Time of My Life, went on to win both an Oscar and a Golden Globe, while the movie itself inspired a stage musical, a TV series, and the 2004 prequel Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights… which everyone politely remembers existing.

Details about the sequel’s plot are still under wraps, but fans are already emotionally invested, cautiously optimistic, and prepared to cry in theatres.

Because some movies aren’t just movies. They’re a feeling. And apparently, that feeling is getting a sequel.