Kenny Ortega to Direct Film Remake of Dirty Dancing

Kenny Ortega will direct a feature film remake of the hit 1987 movie Dirty Dancing, according to Deadline.com. Ortega served as the original film's choreographer. No casting or production start date have been announced.

Directed by Emilie Ardolino and starring Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze, Dirty Dancing follows a teenage girl named Frances "Baby" Houseman (Grey) who meets rebellious dance instructor Johnny Castle (Swayze) while her family vacations at a summer resort. When Johnny's dance partner is no longer able to perform, he trains Baby to become a seductive dancer, and romance follows. The movie was adapted for the stage, making its West End debut in October 2006 and closing on July 9, 2011. The show also toured across North America.

Ortega's film directing credits include the High School Musical series, This Is It, Newsies and Hocus Pocus, as well as episodes of the short-lived Dirty Dancing TV series. Ortega was originally attached to direct the upcoming remake of Footloose, but departed the project. He was also set to direct a film adaptation of the Tony-winning musical In the Heights before Universal dropped the project.