'Dirty Dancing' remake to film in Asheville area

A TV series remake of the 1987 drama "Dirty Dancing" starring Patrick Swayze will film in Western North Carolina, according to documents from the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

In March, the production received a $4 million grant from the state, which will come in the form of reimbursements, as part of the NC Film and Entertainment Grant.

According to the project's grant application, the 2015 production will air as a three-episode TV miniseries on ABC Networks.

A synopsis on the form describes a "night of singing and dancing as we update the classic film 'Dirty Dancing' as a three-hour event."

The exact location of filming was still undetermined at the time the application was filed, but Asheville, Cashiers, Winston-Salem and Greensboro are all mentioned. High Hampton Inn and Resort in Cashiers, the Stevens Center Theater in Winston-Salem and the Carolina Theatre in Greensboro are all listed as potential settings.

One note on the application indicates High Hampton would be the "main shooting location."

"It's probable that we'll need to renovate and improve a current 'boathouse' structure at High Hampton Inn to accommodate a few dance scenes," the application continues. "It's a historic building that has sat empty and unused for years but has great historical significance. It's a striking location overlooking the lake and would be highlighted in the film but could be kept and used in its improved state after we leave."

"We're thrilled and committed to North Carolina," John Valentine of Lionsgate production company said in an email dated March 6 to Mark Poole of the Department of Commerce.

A spokeswoman for Lionsgate declined further comment.

To maintain eligibility for the grant, Lionsgate must spend $16 million on the project in North Carolina.

According to the application, principal filming would take place between April 6 and May 28, and post production in North Carolina would take place between May 29 and July 10.

Application materials indicate the production will create an estimated 1,225 jobs in North Carolina, including 900 extras, 30 cast members and 225 "crew/full time" jobs. Total personnel is expected to be 1,300.

The story of "Dirty Dancing" is set in the Catskill Mountains in New York, but the original 1987 movie was filmed in Lake Lure where an annual festival still commemorates the iconic scenes.

To qualify for the grant, the TV series could not include any material that is "obscene" or "harmful to minors." Perhaps as a response to this requirement, the application details potentially sensitive material.

"This production does still have the story line that involves a dancer getting an abortion, but it does not specifically say that is what it is," the application reads. "There are some sexual references, including two different scenes of couples in bed."

Lionsgate has produced several other projects in North Carolina, including The Hunger Games. "To date, we have spent over $55 million on qualified North Carolina production expenditures," the application states.

According to the application, at least 75 percent of the funding required to make the project is already in place.

Alli Shearmur is listed as the producer.

The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina announced the grant recipients in early April but did not disclose details about the Lionsgate TV project.

All of the grant money was distributed this month to a total of three projects. In addition to the WNC project, "Under the Dome," a CBS series filming in Wilmington, will receive $5 million, and "Late in the Season," a basketball movie set in Davidson, will receive $1 million.

The grant money will channel a combined $10 million in reimbursements to production companies that spend money in the state this year. The General Assembly designated those funds for distribution in fiscal year 2015, which ends in July.

The companies are projected to spend a combined $60 million in the state.

The grant system replaces more lucrative tax cut incentives. From 2010-14, film productions could claim a 25 percent refund on all qualified expenses in the state — up to $20 million. Under the new system, no production can receive more than $5 million from the state.

The 2013 productions spent almost $250 million in North Carolina, more than four times what they're projected to spend this year.