It’s been thirty-five years since audiences had the time of their life watching Baby Houseman learn to dance in the iconic and recently very culturally relevant Dirty Dancing. And to celebrate, Lionsgate is releasing a special 35th anniversary 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and Digital release, featuring several special features that will take you back to Kellerman’s, at least for the end of the summer season. The new anniversary edition will be released on August 23, 2022.
Dirty Dancing tells the story of Frances “Baby” Houseman and her family, who go to Kellerman’s resort in the Catskills for the summer. Baby, who has been sheltered from hardship her whole life has big dreams of making a difference in the world by joining the Peace Corps. But when Baby is introduced to the Dirty Dancing world of the resort’s work staff, and the unequal treatment they receive, she will have to confront her own biases. And, when one of the dance staff becomes pregnant and is abandoned by the father, Baby steps in to help her out and takes up the mysterious and leather-clad Johnny for a partner. The two unlikely dance partners will change each other forever, and for the better, upending the socially divided resort.
The late and legendary Patrick Swayze plays Johnny, and contributed the song “She’s Like The Wind” to the film’s incredible soundtrack. Jennifer Grey plays Baby, and Jerry Orbach plays Baby’s upstanding if out-of-touch father. Kelly Bishop, who you may know as Emily Gilmore from Gilmore Girls plays Baby’s mother.
The 4K release will feature the following special features: audio commentary with writer-coproducer Eleanor Bergstein, audio commentary with choreographer Kenny Ortega, actress Miranda Garrison, cinematographer Jeff Jur, costume designer Hilary Rosenfeld, and production designer David Chapman, a featurette titled “Establishing Shot” with Jeff Jur, and the theatrical trailer for the film.
The Blu-ray release, on the other hand, will feature the following special features: intimate interviews with Patrick Swayze, outtakes/deleted/alternate/extended scenes, cast interviews with Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swayze, Eleanor Bergstein, and more, two Filmmaker Commentaries,and music videos.
After its release in 1987, Dirty Dancing quickly became both a blockbuster film and an instant classic, blending dancing with film narrative in a fresh new way. Thirty-five years on, Dirty Dancing still stands out in the genre, and considering recent events, might be worth watching with a fresh perspective. The new anniversary edition will be released on August 23, 2022.
