There is a lot of buzz about the Lionsgate remake of the 1987 classic starring Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze. There are very little details out about what the storyline will be, but the original choreographer Kenny Ortega will direct it.
Ortega more recently directed Michael Jackson’s This is Is and High School Musical.
The rumors, and I pray they are only rumors, say that the leading lady could possibly be played by Lea Michele (from Glee), Miley Cyrus, or Emma Stone. Leading men could be Justin Timberlake, Zac Efron, Ryan Gosling, or Derek Hough.
Now aside from the obvious travesty of trying to recreate the wonderful chemistry between Grey and Swayze, I will cry if they paste the Dirty Dancing title to a Miley Cyrus/Justin Timberlake movie. CRY.
Who would you cast in those roles? What about the other key roles in the movie? Would you keep the 1960’s era or move it to modern times?
I almost would want to shake it up some and see Johnny Castle played by a young Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond). Assuming he could dance.
They could change it up! Maybe they decide to go with a hip hop theme or the girl is a punk rocker. The storyline could change a lot if that’s what they decide. Or they could stick with the exact same story.
Obviously the whole love story thing would be consistent. But what if it were Baby were a dude in the remake? What if two men get on stage and shake it together in front of the audience.
Nobody puts Baby in a corner.
Anyway, that’s not the point of the thread. Who would you cast?
The role of Baby should be someone with similar characteristics of Baby… or Jennifer Grey. In the movie she was innocent, exotic and also she has special charisma not easy to find.
I think Genesis Rodriguez may be a really good Baby, she is exotic and also has a certain onnocence and Derek Hough as Johnny Castle.
This two would be a reaaaaally interesting couple.
Stone and Gosling would rake in serious dough. She’s the “it” girl right now; he’s just about every woman’s wet dream. And they’ve already proven they have chemistry. With such a beloved film, they really need stellar casting to make a successful remake.
I think to update it you need to have the Johnny Castle character a minority to make the class distinction thing work. Black/white pairings are becoming more common but could still work. The actors really need to sell the idea that they’re challenging the establishment because the establishment is wrong, not just because they’re rebels. Perhaps Johnny could be a middle-eastern man?
