Kenny Ortega to Direct DIRTY DANCING Remake

With Craig Brewer’s Footloose remake on the way, you can bet your ass that other 1980’s movie about dancing is getting a remake as well. Deadline reports that Lionsgate has set Kenny Ortega (High School Musical) to direct a remake of Dirty Dancing. We actually have Ortega to thank for those taboo dance moves, as he was the choreographer of the 1987 film. Lionsgate is taking a mulligan on the franchise after the 2004 sequel Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights was a bit of a bomb upon its release.

Ortega was actually set to direct the Footloose remake, but eventually dropped out and Brewer and newcomer Kenny Wormald took over (believe it or not, that film is getting some fantastic word-of-mouth). There are no casting decisions or screenwriter announcements for Dirty Dancing as of yet, but the report states that it’s a high priority for Lionsgate so expect things to move quickly.