ABC's Dirty Dancing Remake Finds Its Johnny Castle

ABC has ended its search for the perfect Johnny Castle to lead the network's small-screen remake of Dirty Dancing.

Broadway veteran Colt Prattes will take on the role made famous by Patrick Swayze in the 1987 film, starring opposite Abigail Breslin who steps into Jennifer Grey's shoes as Francis "Baby" Houseman. Debra Messing is also signed onto the project in the role of Baby's mother Marjorie Houseman (originated by Kelly Bishop).

Prattes has been seen in the Broadway casts of West Side Story and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and currently stars as Stacee Jaxx in the Las Vegas production of Rock of Ages. He drew attention for his dance skills after performing with P!nk in her music video for the hit song "Try."

Dirty Dancing follows a teenage girl (Breslin) who falls in love with a working-class dance instructor (Prattes) while vacationing with her family in the Catskill Mountains.

Allison Shearmur (The Hunger Games) and Eleanor Bergstein — who wrote the original screenplay — will serve as executive producers. Jessica Sharzer (The L Word) will write the adaptation, with direction by Wayne Blair (The Sapphires), music by Adam Anders and Peer Astrom (Glee), and choreography by Hamilton choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler.

Unlike NBC's musical presentations of The Sound of Music, Peter Pan, and most recently The Wiz, Dirty Dancing will not be a live broadcast. The production more closely mirrors Fox's upcoming remake of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which is set to air in the fall.