It's time to put baby back in the corner as the remake of much loved, and often imitated, 80's classic 'Dirty Dancing' has been given the go ahead.

Lionsgate have confirmed that director Kenny Ortega will helm the new version of the 1987 movie, a project that has special significance to the filmmaker.

The original film cost £3.7m to make but raked in a whopping £131m at the international box-office. It then continued to perform well on video, back in the glory days of VHS, and has recently enjoyed a successful run as a stage production in various countries.

Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey starred in the original, with both actors having a significant background in dance before joining the project. It was an authenticity that shone through, and the iconic routines continue to be imitated at weddings and parties to this day.

Less successful was a short-lived TV series and a prequel released in 2004. 'Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights' saw Swayze make a cameo, but had little else in common with the first film.

The famous choreography for 'Dirty Dancing' was devised by Ortega, who went on to direct 'High School Musical' as well as its two sequels. He also made the Michael Jackson concert movie 'This Is It' and was in line for the 'Footloose' remake, but dropped out of that project.

In a statement on film website, Deadline, Ortega said:

“The opportunity to direct 'Dirty Dancing' is like returning home for me. Growing up in the 60’s on the dance floor helped define me as a person and as an artist. I am looking forward to assembling a great creative team and an exciting cast to bring 'Dirty Dancing' to the screen for a new generation.”

With the new version of 'Footloose' also on the way, are we ready for another 80's revival, and more importantly can we cope with the 'interesting' fashion styles?

http://www-deadline-com.vimg.net/wp-...32-275x165.jpg

EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate has set Maria Maggenti to script the Dirty Dancing remake that has Kenny Ortega attached to direct. Ortega was the choreographer of the 1987 Emile Ardolino-helmed film about a pampered young girl who summers with her upscale family at an establishment in the Catskills and falls in love with the resident dance instructor. Because Lionsgate has fast-tracked the film and set a director, this was a job a lot of writers wanted. Maggenti got it after scripting Monte Carlo for Fox and New Regency. Since then, she scripted an adaptation of Before I Fall and is finishing up My Name Is Memory, also for Fox 2000 and New Regency. The writer’s repped by APA and Madhouse Entertainment.
Lionsgate is hoping to recapture some of the financial magic of the original, a sleeper hit that for its time was one of the most profitable independent films ever seen, costing $6 million and grossing $213.95 million worldwide. It was made by Vestron, which could not get its act together and mobilize a sequel before crapping out. Lionsgate released Artisan’s 2004 sequel, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, but didn’t make that film and has started from scratch and gone back to the original.