Image Credit: Charles Norfleet/PR Photos; Bob Charlotte/PR Photos
Since Kenny Ortega announced that he was directing a reboot of Dirty Dancing (for which he was the original choreographer), there has been some speculation about who would play the iconic roles of Baby and Johnny. UK bookie Paddy Power has two names at the top of his list: Justin Timberlake and Emma Stone. According to British bookmakers, Timberlake has 3-1 odds of landing the role made famous by Patrick Swayze, while Stone is a 5-1 bet at stepping into Jennifer Grey’s ballet flats. See more contenders after the jump.
Among the other names on the bookies’ list to cha-cha into Johnny’s part are Chris Hemsworth (a respectable 6-1 — perhaps in light of his performance on Australia’s Dancing With the Stars), Zac Efron (8-1 after working with Ortega in the High School Musical films), Step Up star Channing Tatum (12-1), U.S. Dancing With the Stars pro Derek Hough (16-1), and Justin Bieber (20-1).
But who will be accused of stealing Lisa’s irridiscent beige lipstick? Odds are even for Emma Roberts and Glee‘s Lea Michele, who are both favored at 8-1. Following them are Bieber’s girlfriend Selena Gomez (10-1), Vanessa Hudgens (12-1), and Miley Cyrus and Mila Kunis (tied at 16-1).
And you can files these names under: “Huh?!” — Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Kristen Stewart, Ellen Page, Jeremy Renner, and Rumer Willis.
Make of this speculation what you will, PopWatchers. Last time the idea of a Dirty Dancing remake was floated, circa 2001, Ricky Martin and Christina Aguilera were top contenders to play Bebe and Juanito Castillo. Instead, that particular production was scrapped in favor of 2004′s Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, which inexplicably cast Diego Luna (Y Tu Mamá También) and Romolai Garai, whose biggest credit at the time was Nicholas Nickleby. Then again, that film did give us the seed for 2006′s Wyclef Jean-Shakira collab “Hips Don’t Lie,” so you can’t call it all bad.
In any case, Dirty birds, can you see Stone mumbling, “I carried a watermelon?!” Does Timberlake have the hip action to master “Johnny’s Mambo”? (If your answer is no, forward to 3:44 in this clip for some compelling pro-Timberlake evidence.) Or do you think someone else would make a better fit? Register your opinion in the poll and comments below!
Amazing that Tatum still gets votes for anything other than biggest box office poison (aside from Ryan Reynolds that is). Must have been his family and friends voting.
Or the fact that he at least has a dancing (okay, stripping, but it’s a form of dancing) background.
Channing Tatum! He has dancing background (Step Up) he has HOT, he looks a little older (mid twenties?), he is perfect. And Selena Gomez, she’s younger and beautiful. I honestly think it’s going to be hard to live up to the original, so if you’re going to do it, do it right at least!
Maksim Chmerkovsky! With Heather Morris as Baby.
I agree about Maksim and I think that Julianne Hough should play Baby.
I like the idea of Maks as Johnny, but Julianne is too pretty to play Baby. Heather Morris is an interesting thought tho…I could get behind that idea.
Maksim and Mila Kunis .
This
This whole idea is totally unnecessary, but to make the movie somewhat bearable, please cast Emma Stone!
Regina, do you want to go to Taco Bell??
I can’t go to Taco Bell, I’m on an all-carbs diet! God, Karen, you’re so stupid!
Pasha!!!! It should be Pasha from SYTYCD, he’s the sexiest thing ever. And then Lauren Froderman as Baby. It’ll be perfect.
Heather Morris should play the professional blonde dancer role. She’s too clearly a pro dancer to play Baby.
I think Maks would be perfect for this part. I’m not sure about Baby yet.
How about NOBODY? I love Emma Stone, but Jennifer Grey IS “Baby”. Justin is moderately funny in SNL, but nobody can replace Swayze. Hey, Hollywood…how about a radical, ground-breaking idea? Like…NOT REMAKING DIRTY DANCING?
Boo-Yaa. These idiots obviously never watch dirty dancing, I cant imagine anyone else playing Baby! J.Grey at that time was a perfect mix of innocence & sexy that almost none of current actors exudes. (If some how miley cyrus or selena gomez manage to weasel their way into this movie, some studio will get burn, literally!!)
Some things are sacred and shouldn’t be messed with. Dirty Dancing is one of them. This is a plane crash waiting to happen. Kenny Ortega should be proud of the work he did in the original but I have no respect for him now for doing this.
I know! There is no way they will be able to make anything close to the original; and ANY actor/actress that tries to take over the role of Johnny or Baby will only result in getting flamed and criticized.
Enough with the Timberlake casting already! He’s okay in small supporting roles, but as a lead he totally lacks the acting chops and the screen presence. He can’t pull off the action hero – how bad does ‘In Time’ look? (he doesn’t look like he could beat up Amanda Seyfried) And he can’t pull off the romantic lead – I know teenage girls and gay men fantasize about him, but does anyone else truly buy that this guy has sex with women? Come on Hollywood
Oh, I do buy he has sex with women. The problem is that, like you said, he lacks the gravitas for a lead role. As a sidekick, and comedic foil, sure. But he is simply not charismatic enough to pull off a lead. And yes, I concur that Seyfried looks more credible as an action star than he does)
I don’t think either one of them or their agents/managers are dumb enough to let them do this. All remakes of classic 80′s films have been flops.
How about Mathew Morrison and Lea Michele…because the weird “Don’t Stand so Close to Me” undertones they would create would be the only interesting thing about this movie.
why are they remaking a movie about a pedi who prayed on a young innocent women? seriously????
you’ve never seen Dirty Dancing have u?
These two are brilliant, just not together in a Dirty Dancing remake. In a movie where Justin is Emma’s super hilarious BFF and she’s unlucky in love with some dude, totally. But no way. And I chime in with the other commenters, why are we remaking Dirty Dancing? Can someone please have an original thought? Give those people a chance.
If they want to be faithful to the original, they’ll need to cast a middle-aged, muscular guy with dancing experience and bratty, spoiled young girl with big shnozola…. Hugh Jackman & Ashley Simpson (with her old nose) would be perfect
Middle aged? He was not middle aged. Have you seen the move? Johnny in in his 20′s.
I don’t think that they should remake it. It is time for Hollywood to come up with new ideas.
Patrick Swayze was 35 years old in Dirty Dancing. He looked his age at the time and they never state the age of the character in the movie. It was a lovely old-fashioned movie about a pedophile and his crazy dance-filled high jinx at some old crackers’ country club in the 50′s…. yes, indeed we need more of that old Hollywood magic.
Mischa Barton, Blake Lively or Leighton Meester as Frances Houseman
Shia LaBeouf, Penn Badgley or Chace Crawford as Johnny Castle
All of those Males wouldn’t pull off Johnny, I’m thinking Derek from Dancing with the Stars or Chris. I trust Chris could totaly pull the part off, not so sure who I’d want to see as baby.
I would probably see these two in a movie regardless of the title. But I fear that its going to end up being Julianne Hough and I don’t like her. She’s a fantastic dancer, but I don’t think she can act.
Agreed! I don’t want to see her brother either.
If they cast Justin Bieber, I swear to God I will picket my local movie theatre.
Amen! Are his 15 minutes up yet??
Ryan Gosling hands down as Johnny. And he proved he can do the lift in Crazy, Stupid, Love. He’s manly, a bit offbeat, sexy, good looking but in a rugged way. He’s perfect. But my vote is still that no one is Patrick Swayze and this should not be remade.
Never thought of Ryan He’s another good pick if they are going to remake the movie, who would you want for Baby? If you had to choose?
WHAAAA?! I didn’t even know they were remaking this movie!! I’m still shuddering at the “Footloose” remake coming out later this year. Please please PLEASE leave this movie alone!! And if either of these two were smart, they would stay away from this remake. >_<
sometimes i really HATE hollywood. the magic of dirty dancing can’t be remade! no matter what actors they choose, the film definitely won’t be comparable to the original one!!! is this really necessary?? why? don’t they have enough money already? in my opinion, some films are so good that it is an insult to try to remake them, and dirty dancing is one of them!
I completely agree 100%!