Lionsgate Plans ‘Dirty Dancing’ Stage Adaptation For Broadway
Lionsgate is developing a new stage adaptation of Dirty Dancing.
The studio is working with Eleanor Bergstein, the writer of the 1987 film, to develop the new musical. Lonny Price, who played Neil Kellerman in the film, will direct the new production.
More from The Hollywood Reporter
This is being positioned as a new, Broadway-aimed stage adaptation of the film. A prior stage production, with a book by Bergstein, premiered in Sydney in 2004, with several runs on London’s West End, around the U.K., the U.S. and more. The film was also adapted into a television series, competition reality shows, a television musical adaptation, a prequel and an upcoming sequel film.
The new stage production is slated in launch in late 2025, with a run in North America and then plans for productions in Asia, Australia, Latin America and more. The musical is expected to include “fan favorite” songs as well as new music.
Lionsgate is a producer on the production, with Path Entertainment Group’s live stage arm, Showpath. This adds to Lionsgate’s theatrical slate, which also includes plans for stage productions of Wonder, Nashville and La La Land on Broadway, and The Hunger Games in London.
“In the years after I wrote and co-produced the original film Dirty Dancing, I was grateful and astonished by the generations of audiences who responded with open hearts to the themes of honor and courage beneath the surface. Years later, sensing our audiences wanted to ‘be there’ while the story was happening, I wrote and co-produced a stage show. Its reception all over the world exceeded my sweetest dreams. Now we’ve come full circle, and with my old friend Lonny Price by my side, I’m returning to the stage with a reimagined version. Its hope is to be equal to the new world swirling around us while revisiting more fully and precisely the story I’d wanted to tell when I wrote my first lines. It’s my way of saying thank you to you all,” Bergstein said.
Best of The Hollywood Reporter
Sign up for THR's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Solve the daily Crossword
