‘Dirty Dancing’ TV Remake to Star Abigail Breslin
Dirty Dancing will be remade as a three-hour TV special with Abigail Breslin slated to star as Baby, The Wrap reports.
While there’s no word yet on who will play Johnny to Breslin’s Baby (roles filled by Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in the 1987 original film), Dirty Dancing scribe Eleanor Bergstein will serve as an executive producer on the remake. Jessica Sharzer (Scream Queens, American Horror Story) has signed on as writer, with Wayne Blair (The Sapphires) set to direct.
ABC’s Dirty Dancing will also feature music from Adam Anders and Peer Åström, both of whom worked extensively on music for Glee, and have separately produced music for other TV shows, movies and artists like Celine Dion, Madonna and Cee Lo Green.
The upcoming TV special will boast song and dance performances, but it is not related to the musical adaptation, Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage.
ABC has yet to announce a premiere date for Dirty Dancing.
As for Breslin, the actress has remained busy in film and TV since her breakout, Oscar-nominated performance in Little Miss Sunshine. She’s appeared in films like Zombieland, August: Osage County and Maggie, and has a recurring role on Scream Queens. Breslin has also embarked on a music career, releasing her first LP, The World Now, in June. In October, she published a collection of essays, This May Sound Crazy.