They’re remaking Dirty Dancing, is nothing sacred?

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I’m of the age where Dirty Dancing was on HBO constantly when I was in high school. I’ve seen it countless times, and last year I was so thrilled to see a very accurate Dirty Dancing stage show in Berlin. (It was wonderful and gave me goosebumps. Props to my husband for taking me to such a chick flick show.) The movie is a complete classic and should not be remade on the big screen. (The way I see it there’s a huge difference between a stage show that pays homage and a film remake, but I’m open to arguments.) Since new ideas don’t impress the blockheads that run Hollywood, they’re messing with a classic and doing a remake. Of course they freaking are! At least the original choreographer for Dirty Dancing is directing the new version, because choreographers make such great directors:

Dirty Dancing” is coming back to the big screen.

Lionsgate says it is remaking the 1987 film that starred Jennifer Grey as a naive dance student and Patrick Swayze as her teacher and lover.

The studio said Monday that Kenny Ortega, who choreographed the original film, will direct the remake.

Ortega says he is eager to discover and cast “the next breakout triple-threats” to define dancing for a generation, the way Swayze did in the original “Dirty Dancing.”

[From AP via Huffington Post]

I looked up this Kenny Ortega guy on IMDB, and he also directed the Michael Jackson documentary This is It along with the High School Musical movie and the Cheetah Girls movie. So it’s safe to assume this is going to suck. I get that dancing shows are popular now with So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing with the Stars, and all those other reality dance shows that are cropping up like heads on a hydra.

There’s got to be a way to make a unique coming of age romance that heavily features dancing and doesn’t rip off a classic. Instead they’re dishonoring Patrick Swayze’s memory in order to make a buck. If they’re going to modernize this movie, and that remains to be seen, they’ll probably just give the lead characters iPhones and have them flirt on Twitter.

BabyHS: Keller’s sux, M sooo bored.

CastleCous: Meet me behind dock. Carry my watermellan.

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79 Responses to “They’re remaking Dirty Dancing, is nothing sacred?”

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  1. Samigirl says:

    UCH! I saw this yesterday, and literally yelled “NOOOOOO!” It was very high school dramatic. I won’t see it. I will NOT. I refuse to watch Zac Efron, or any other little cutesy pie kid say “Nobody puts Baby in the corner.” That is reserved for PS ONLY.

  2. bigchili says:

    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

    This would be tragic.

  3. brin says:

    I agree! No remake is necessary, the original is perfection.
    I think the remake of “Footloose” is a mistake too.

  4. kay says:

    Didn’t they semi already do this with Havanna nights?

    Still a travesty.

  5. teri says:

    That’s another NO for me.

  6. gee says:

    They’ll do it, no one will watch it, it’ll be on ABC family in heavy rotation and everyone will still think of Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze when they think fondly of Dirty Dancing, not this future POS.

  7. Ruth says:

    Its one of those “just leave it alone” movies.. seems a crime to remake it just for the sake of box office dollars. There are im sure lots of decent dance-movie scripts out there (or if someone was paying there rapidly would be) Do one of them instead. And leave DD the F*&^ alone

  8. WTF says:

    This CANNOT happen –

  9. Gwen says:

    BOOOOOOOOOH!

  10. mia girl says:

    “BabyHS: Keller’s sux, M sooo bored.
    CastleCous: Meet me behind dock. Carry my watermellan.”

    Awesome! Thanks for my first laugh of the morning.

    And to answer your question @Celebitchy…

    NO, for the suits in Hollywood, nothing is sacred.

  11. sarah says:

    I heard something about “The Wizard of Oz” being remade recently. I can’t stand this crap. I love both of these movies. What’s next? They remake “Gone with the Wind” and “Casablanca?”

  12. mln76 says:

    Horrible idea. The best part of the movie is that they didn’t know they were creating a hit. It’s the kind of small mainstream film that just doesn’t get made anymore that struck a chord with everyone. The cast was so natural. They’ll just pick the most plastic ‘pretty’ people and lose everything that made this story special.

    EDIT: @sarah ‘the Wizard of Oz’ is different they remake it every 10 or 15 years or so. The Judy Garland version is even a remake. But nothing will overshadow that version.

  13. Leigh says:

    UGH.
    BRUTAL.

    I LOVE this movie. Like countless women my age, it is something we’ve seen over and over again. Remaking it is an awful idea. They’ll ruin it. 🙁

  14. poopie says:

    NOBODY PUTS BABY IN A CORNER !!!!
    and DEF not WITH THIS UPCOMING CRAP !

  15. TXCinderella says:

    Why? Why mess with a classic? It seems Hollyweird is running out of original ideas, too many remakes.

  16. Lois says:

    NO! What a stupid idea! There is no way I will watch a remake.

  17. Green_Eyes says:

    No!! Say it ain’t so!! NOONE can replace Patrick Swayze puleeaazze! That is hubby & i’s movie (swoon). Our last name is Kellerman and our lil Hellion aerodynamic on his feet blue Russian is named “Johhny” and our baby doll Persian is named “Baby”. That is the extent of any remake I care for….

  18. LAK says:

    Just like they ruined FAME, THE WOMEN

    uuuurrgggghhh!!!!

  19. LAK says:

    let”s not forget A STAR IS BORN with BEyonce in the lead role….again uuurrrggghhhh!!!!

  20. serena says:

    This is not a movie that needs a remake. I won’t watch it (or maybe yes, just to criticize)..they’re really with zero ideas uh?

    Poor Patrick..

  21. Toot says:

    BLASPHEMY! I can’t imagine anyone being able to do Johnny as well as Patrick.

    Had to look at this video to clear my mind from this horrible plan.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y0TWOttkVo

  22. fabgrrl says:

    *sigh* Hollywood is, once again, going to cr*p all over my tween memories in order to make a quick buck. I couldn’t agree more with the previous poster who said they are probably going to do this with a big budget and plastic, pretty people. Dirty Dancing was great because it was small budget, not out to make a buck, and the stars were average looking (and very talented). It all seemed real and plausible. And who but Jerry Orbach could play a gruff but earnest and loving Dad to such perfection?

  23. Funnelweb says:

    Far far too soon after Swayze’s death. Far too soon. Mind you I believe 99% of remakes suck and are an insult to the original. But with this, its definitely too soon. I’m really sad to hear this, and I will not support it by going to see it, or even rent it.

  24. Seal Team 6 says:

    WTF.

    Some movies are classics. WTF would anyone want to remake a classic??? Why would anyone want to watch it???

  25. Seal Team 6 says:

    mln76 said, “The best part of the movie is that they didn’t know they were creating a hit. It’s the kind of small mainstream film that just doesn’t get made anymore that struck a chord with everyone.”

    No way I can say that any better. Exactly.

  26. yepp says:

    Cant believe that they are going to do this… first foot loose now this… when will it end. Grease will be next. none of these remakes will get a dime of my hard earned money!

  27. Pix says:

    I doubt this will make it to the big screen. This guy tried to re-make Footloose a few years ago with Zac Efron and then it just fizzled out when he dropped out.

  28. Brooke says:

    @fabgrrl, thank you for acknowledging that this would piss on Jerry Orbach’s grave along with Patrick Swayze’s, who, to me at least, were the true stars of the show. This sounds like a vehicle for the more-unrecognizable-than-ever Jennifer Grey. SIGH.

  29. Kelli says:

    The whole idea that they could even come close to matching the chemistry between Patrick and Jennifer is ridiculous! THAT is what made that movie such a huge hit, when it was released as an indie, and in 1987, NO ONE saw indies! It was not meant to be a huge blockbuser, but touched so many women. I was 11 when it came out and I perpetually have this movie downloaded on my DVR and my computer to watch whenever i am having “one of those days”. So good luck HWood douchebags- this is a FAIL! And especially with that director you chose and the screenwriter! She wrote one movie, and it bombed! This is one of those movies that cannot be replicated, as the original hit on all cylinders, and from what I have read about the making of it, that was completely unexpected, as P and J HATED each other during the shooting of this movie. Kinda of excited to see HOW badly this bombs! And what music could they use that could come as close to being as good as the original songs from that soundtrack. ANOTHER reason that movie was such a success was that they had THE BEST music in it!

  30. Hollowdoll says:

    This is beyond irritating.

  31. Jen says:

    FYI, Kenny Ortega choreographed the original movie, so he obviously has some investment and sentimental attachment to it.

  32. TQB says:

    This is just 18 levels of wrong.

    @Pix, even without Efron, the Footloose movie is still happening, sorry.

  33. the original bellaluna says:

    NO. All kinds of NO. No wrapped in a no served on a no by a no in a no hat.

    Re-release the original in theatres if you must, but leave it alone. It’s sacred.

    There is only one Johnny, one Baby, and one Jerry Orbach. No one else can do those characters justice. PERIOD.

  34. CC says:

    Dirty Dancing was a classic, and unlike many movies of today, it wasn’t manufactured into a hit, it simply became one.

    Not gonna pay for this POS, they can keep it.

  35. Green Is Good says:

    Blasphemy. What’s next? Casablanca? Gone With The Wind?

    Sheer, epic asshattery.

  36. Mitch Buchanan Rocks says:

    @ Toot thank you for the you tube link, it is very touching. There is no actor out there who can compare to Patrick Swayze – they should just re-release the original instead – it would likely bring in more box office dollars than some cheap knock off.

  37. Anne says:

    The thing is, Dirty Dancing was not a great movie. It was badly written, the acting was mediocre and the plot was dumb. What saved it was the soundtrack, the truly excellent dancing and the hotness of Patrick Swayze.

    But some bad movies have their own weird chemistry and charm that delight us, which DD did. There is a reason they didn’t make ‘Dirty Dancing 2’. Even the original cast recognized that whatever chemical mix that caused a relatively bad movie to be a hit could not be recreated.

  38. Mindy says:

    @ Anne – There WAS a Dirty Dancing 2. It was called Dirty Dancing: Havanna Nights and it came out in 2004. Was so horrible, that most folks don’t even know it came out.

    Maybe after the new Footloose remake BOMBS (and guaranteed, it will).. everyone will come to their senses and this won’t be made.

  39. Eve says:

    Romantic movies were never my thing but I was a teen and everybody was talking about Dirty Dancing and how hot Patrick Swayze was that I decided to watch it.

    And I will NEVER forget that day because I was having a mild but worrisome case of diarrhea and was afraid that a disaster could happen during the screening. So I remember (photographically) the moment where my mom said that I should eat bananas. I did and then bravely went to the theater. It worked but it was kind of a strange situation: I was watching a romantic movie while being in a thriller/drama one myself (in real life).

    P.S.: Yeah, I can’t believe I just told you guys that.

    EDIT: I also remember when two girls (in different occasions) took pictures on Swayze’s close-ups. Literally, they brought cameras and took pictures of him (one of them was during a scene where he’s wearing a blue shirt).

  40. Jover says:

    Agree with everyone above – hey, lets not forget the 2001 space odyssey and Godfather 1 remakes which i’m sure someone in hollywornout would try to remake. Hollywornout needs to find completely new people to write and produce movies.

  41. Obvious says:

    @Sarah I’d actually love to see a remake of Gone With The Wind that stays truthful to the book, it would have to be a miniseries though. That would be awesome, I say this being a huge fa0 nof the book and the movie and loving them both for so many different reasons. but GWTW was a truly horrible adaptation, but stand alone it was amazing.

    These Hollywood remakes would be better if they had actors with actual talent. but most of the actors in hollywood don’t have it-at least in this newer crop that they keep trying to force on us.

  42. Anne says:

    @Mindy–you’re right, there was a Dirty Dancing 2, but it had none of the original cast in it (not even the director). Why can’t Hollywood let anything be a ‘one-hit wonder’???

  43. dr.bombay says:

    NO WAY.

  44. garvels says:

    Creativity in Hollywood is officially dead. I guess reality shows are the wave of the future-ugh! No wonder people are starting to tune out Hollywood.

  45. lilred says:

    Anne:Patrick was in Havana nights but he was the only original cast member.

  46. lilred says:

    This remake is so WRONG!!!

  47. fancyamazon says:

    I don’t believe that there is a dearth of new ideas out there. I used to think that, but now I believe that Hollywood has simply given in completely tot he lawyers, the accountants, and the insurance agencies, instead of taking risks they are only willing to put cash forward for projects that have already shown a profit. Which is very sad.

    @yepp Grease is a retelling of “west side story” which is a retelling of a retelling of a retelling at least all the way back to Shakespeare. And he probably got the idea from some other tale. And it is constantly being retold in television, film and on stage. I don’t think that is the same thing, although you could argue that every story is a remake of sorts, because of the universal themes of storytelling.

  48. Hibiscus says:

    The success of this project depends on wether they’re gonna find another Patrick Swayze.

    Probably not.
    Patrick was unique with his hotness, kindness and dancing-pro background.

    “Baby” can be played by any plain young actress, but not “Johnny”.

  49. Anne says:

    @lilred: just looked up DD Havana Nights on the internet in case I was wrong, but no, Patrick Swayze was definitely not in that movie.

  50. sarah says:

    Geez! I forgot about Jerry Orbach. Now I just want to cry.

  51. mln76 says:

    Isn’t anyone going to give props to Penny???
    Cynthia Rhodes was awesome!
    ‘Go back to your playground Baby’

  52. Mika says:

    Dirty Dancing really solid film. People who call it a romantic comedy or a movie about dancing have missed the point. It was a coming of age story, the catalyst for Baby’s story happened to be romantic and involve some dancing. Baby was a very strong female character and the real story is about her coming at odds with her father and her upbringing. How many female coming of age stories are being made in Hollywood? Not many. That alone should make it valuable.

  53. PrettyLights says:

    Ugh, please tell me they’re not doing this! That movie is so classic. I remember watching it growing up in the summer with my Mom and my sister, vegging out with snacks and giggling at how cute Swayze was. I recently rented it and even got my boyfriend to watch it with me, although he did fall asleep halfway through. You just cannot remake this movie!

  54. Onyx XV says:

    They really need to quit with the remakes and come up with original material. That remakes are even remotely considered acceptable is a sad commentary on the state of the art of cinema today.

    As many other posters have already passionately pointed out, this particular remake is a travesty. I definitely won’t be seeing it.

  55. Gecko says:

    @Anne: He most certainly was. Look at the full cast list on imdb – he’s listed as “Dance Class Instructor”

  56. Lizzyxo says:

    Have you seen the Trailer for the new Footloose? My boyfriend thought it was for Step it up 5. My soul died a little…

  57. Nymeria says:

    NO! To me, this is the equivalent of remaking Some Like It Hot, GWTW, or Citizen Kane. Just WRONG on so many levels.

    Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert, pointed out recently that boredom has been proven to help stimulate the imagination. He opined that the dearth of boredom in our society (due to technogadgets’ being everywhere) is causing creativity to fizzle out. One symptom of this lack of creativity, Adams wrote, is the stream of remakes coming out of Hollywood, as opposed to fresh, original films. He does admit that this is partly due to fiscal conservatism – studio bosses don’t want to lose money on new films people might not like – but only partly.

  58. newtsgal says:

    SHOCKING!!! Hollywood is remakin’ a movie…..I would be shocked if they didn’t remake movies. I don’t see why writers in Hollywood are even being payed, there hasn’t been anything original out of hollywood that’s worth a crap in years.

  59. sarah says:

    I saw a preview for the new Footloose movie a few weeks ago. Looks HARRRRIBLE! Oh please say they will leave “Some like it Hot” alone.

  60. Maritza says:

    Hollywood has ran out of stories to tell so they need to rehash classics for the new generation. I’m all for them doing remakes of really old movies like from the 70’s and before. I wonder who will they cast?

  61. nanster says:

    I love “coming of age” films – and Dirty Dancing is no exception. As everyone else seems to think (and I do, too)- remaking it will ruin it. Two more coming of age films that I love are “Man in the Moon” (Reese Witherspoon’s debut, I think), and “Liar’s Moon” with Matt Dillon. Neither were as commercially successful as DD, but they are both worth watching. I can’t understand why Hollywood thinks that they can redo classics and get good results. (Arthur, anyone?)

  62. LMS says:

    I may actually be the only woman on the planet in her thirties who doesn’t like Dirty Dancing. Dumb movie, always thought so.

  63. UKHels says:

    I knew HW was running out of new ideas but for god’s sake!!

    can it possibly be as bad as the remake of the Italian Job though
    or bad lieutenant
    or get carter
    or fame

    I could go on

  64. Amanda G says:

    Sigh…as if the sequel wasn’t bad enough, now they have to remake it? Why do they touch classics like this?

  65. WOM says:

    #62: LMS — ME, too! What can I say? I’m just not a fan of statutory rape.

  66. Original Bee says:

    This is ridiculous. They already tried this once with the disaster that was Dirty Dancing Havana nights. Nothing can top the originality and chemistry of the Dirty Dancing. It’s amazing that Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey had so much chemistry considering the fact that they HATED each other while making DD. Jennifer almost didn’t do the film because she despised Patrick so much on movie she did with him before. Now that’s acting y’all.

  67. Anne says:

    @Gecko–wow, you are absolutely right! I totally missed that (I think I was looking at the more prominent roles). I am really amazed…poor PS must have been desperate for money at that time!

  68. Aquarius74 says:

    SHAME. This movie is unique.

    Patrick Swayze is unique too, he should be respected. Why betray him 2 years only after his death ?

    My father died too of cancer at 57 (lung cancer while he’s never smoke a single cigarette in his entire life). Cancer is the biggest threat of the modern world. Replacing Patrick is like negating what happened, and what damage cancer can do. Authorities tricked everyone with their focus on AIDS while cancer was the major killing desease. But it was so convenient checking on everyone sex life, than asking Monsanto or other companies what they put in their products, and what people eat or breathe because of them…

  69. JaneWonderfalls says:

    I don’t think they should remake to many movies especially the classics, why turn such a classic film into some modern oversexed piece of scrap?

  70. Shoe_Lover says:

    sacreligious!!!!!! when will the morons in Hollywood get a clue and stop butchering the classics!

  71. SFRowGuy says:

    They remade Dr. Doolittle (!) and The Parent Trap, so the answer is No.

  72. Annie_Grey says:

    Just re-release the original!

    If they can’t think of anything new, then they need to take a long look in the mirror and figure out why. Lala land used to have a little heart. I’m afraid it’s mostly made of ice, now.

  73. Tucson says:

    This is beyond wrong – no way will I waste my time and/or money to see this. There are some things that should just NOT be done! (shakes head in disgust)

  74. LittleDeadGirl says:

    Oh great another “Step it Up” only this one shits on a classic too …

  75. Ruby Red Lips says:

    Nooooooo!

    This film is a classic and especially as Patrick S is no longer with us it should be left well.alone 🙁

  76. Addie says:

    This is a suicide mission for whoever will be financing this mess.

    Leave the classics alone! It’s not like you can impove on the original.

    I would just DIE if they decided to remake Sound of Music. Best.Movie. Ever!!

  77. Marianne says:

    You know why they are doing it? Hollywood is officially out of ideas. When was the last movie you heard about that wasn’t a remake? Wasn’t a comic book movie? Wasn’t an adaptation of a book? Wasn’t a sequel/prequel?

    Yeah orginality is hard to find. And just like the upcoming Footloose, I will NOT see this.

  78. Annie_Grey says:

    Marianne- Exactly.

  79. Brittastic13@aol.com says:

    If you are against a re-make of the best movie http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Dont-Put-Baby-Back-In-The-Corner/216402508407999ever, “Dirty Dancing,” than “like” this page on facebook!!!!!