Patrick Swayze will be honored in the forthcoming Dirty Dancing sequel — and his widow approves.
Earlier this year, the film's lead star Jennifer Grey confirmed that a sequel was officially in the works, timed for its 40th anniversary.
And though production on the movie won't start until later in 2026, the script is ready, and Lisa Niemi is touched by how it honors her late husband.
© Getty ImagesLisa, who was married to Patrick from 1975 until his passing in 2009, speaking with Us Weekly, revealed: "I actually got to read the script," adding that she was "very moved" by it.
She further shared that the sequel does find ways to incorporate Patrick into the story, and moreover she appreciated how it "treated the handling" of Patrick's character Johnny.
Patrick, who starred as resort dance instructor Johnny Castle in the 1987 movie, passed away aged 57 in 2009 after a 22-month long battle with Pancreatic Cancer.
© Getty Images"I'll be very curious to see how it comes about," his wife went on. "I wish [them] the best of luck. They've been working on it [for] quite a while. And I can't wait to see it."
In addition to Patrick and Jennifer, Dirty Dancing, which grossed over $214 million worldwide and first premiered on August 21, 1987, also starred Kelly Bishop and Jerry Orbach, who passed away aged 69 in 2004.
Lionsgate confirmed news of the sequel on Tuesday, January 27, revealing Hunger Games and Crazy Rich Asians producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson are at the helm, with Dying for Sex screenwriter Kim Rosenstock set to write the film.
© Getty Images"The role of Baby has held a very deep and meaningful place in my heart, as it has in the hearts of so many fans over the years," lead Jennifer said in a statement.
"I've long wondered where we might find Baby years later and what her life might be like," she added, teasing a possible theme for the sequel: "It's taken time to assemble the kind of people that I felt could be entrusted to build on the legacy of the original film," she then explained. "I'm excited to say that it looks like the wait will soon be over."
© Getty ImagesJennifer has also signed on as an executive producer. She has for several years publicly expressed her hopes of continuing the Dirty Dancing story with a sequel, however in 2020, when she first teased the project was in the works, she maintained it would not be the same without Patrick.
"All I can say is there is no replacing anyone who's passed — you never try to repeat anything that's magic like that," she told People at the time, adding: "You just go for something different."
