Good news, Patrick Swayze fans -- he's one step closer to kicking cancer to the curb. Variety reports that the dirty dancer's pilot show about an unorthodox FBI agent, The Beast, has been picked up by A&E and that it will still star Swayze. Everything was up in the air when it was announced that he was fighting pancreatic cancer, but now insiders have told Variety that the actor's doctors have given him the thumbs up to continue working, just a few weeks after he announced that he was responding well to treatment.

Shooting the series should keep him pretty busy, but I wonder what this means for the rumor that Swayze would return to the world of Point Break for a sequel, should his health allow it. Will we be getting more Bodhi? I wasn't too keen on the idea in May, but it would be better than some other films that could try to grab him, like, say, that wretched Donnie Darko sequel that's in the works.

It's been a few months since we heard the sad and shocking news, in March, that Patrick Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Since then, rumors have run rampant, both about his health, and about possible movie choices. Finally, we've got some legit news on the actor and his struggle with cancer.

He sent a statement over to People, which says: "Thought I'd give you guys a little update. Lisa and I have been back and forth from New Mexico enjoying the arrival of spring and new baby calves. This past weekend, we spent a fun time with friends in Reno for Lisa's birthday, where I took her jewelry shopping at Kenny G & Company and (we) were able to find her something really special and much deserved! In the meantime, I am continuing treatment at Stanford and the great news is I continue to respond well."

He's also looking pretty darned good too. The pic attached to this post is via the BBC, and shows Swayze at a basketball game last week. Best, and continued wishes to you, Mr. Dirty Dancer.

Warning: Video above contains foul language

It came as a shock in March to find out that Patrick Swayze was battling pancreatic cancer. Since then, there have been a lot of conflicting rumors and reports about his health, but now one is movie-related. Cinema Blend came across a news piece on Asian News International that Swayze would like to return to the sequel of Point Break, "if his health allows."

This comes on the heels of news that a sequel was on the way, so this could definitely be an example of wishful thinking. And hey, rumors that suggest the possibility of health, rather than death, are okay in my book. That being said, I don't think Point Break 2 is the next film I'd like to see Swayze in. If he's able to beat the cancer and get back to work, I'd love to see him cast in something that brings back the glory days of Swayze. We don't need questionable sequels; we need full-on and awesome Swayze.

Any ideas? What could bring Swayze back to form? Or, is a sequel of the gem above what the moviegoing world needs?

As Kim let us know last night, Patrick Swayze has pancreatic cancer. It's not a particularly easy sort of C to get over, but reports are saying that he's responding well to treatment. I hope so, as the world needs the Swayze. There have been some stinkers in his career, but there are also great gems. Like, oh, Dirty Dancing.

This is, in no way, a memorial, but rather appreciation of what makes Swayze so cool, and one of the reasons why I hope he's around for a long, long time to come. So, let's jump back in time to his special finale dance with Jennifer Grey. I'm usually not one for grandiose displays of affection, but this one I dig. It's one of the few "awh" romantic moments on screen that I think is natural -- both for the character and the situation. It's not breaking out into song randomly, but with a specific, thematic purpose. And really, it's nice to see an on-screen group dance where they all do their own thing, instead of magically falling into the same ultra-tricky dance moves.

Patrick Swayze, you rock.

Update: Swayze's reps hadn't commented more to Reuters at the time Moviefone ran their piece, but a reader kindly pointed us to this story on People that indicates a more optimistic outlook for Swayze. -- ed.

Well, this news is depressing as hell. Patrick Swayze, 55, has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer., and has only a short time to live. According to a piece over on Moviefone, a rep for Swayze told the New York Post that the actor was diagnosed over a month ago. Swayze is perhaps best known for his leading role in Dirty Dancing, when his character, Johnny Castle, an older dance instructor, swept young and perky Jennifer Grey off her feet. My own favorite Swayze movies, though, are Red Dawn ("Wolverines!") and Ghost. The latter never fails to reduce me to a blubbering heap of tears, no matter how sternly I tell myself I won't cry this time.

I have no idea if Swayze reads Cinematical, but we would like to extend our condolences and sadness at this news, and wish him and his family well. I know we have lots of Swayze fans out there, so feel free to use this space to extend your own thoughts and well-wishes to Swayze. What's your favorite Swayze movie moment?

For a sizable amount of the male population, this is probably the best news they will hear all day. Us Weekly reports that Jessica Biel has agreed to appear nude in the upcoming drama, Powder Blue. Biel will star as a single mother stripping to raise money to save her terminally ill son. Joining Biel are; Forest Whitaker, Ray Liotta (as Biel's father), and Patrick Swayze as the owner of the club where Biel works. Directed by Timothy Linh Bui, the story centers on four strangers whose lives intersect in strange ways on Christmas Eve. According to sources for Us Weekly, Biel will retain final say over what makes it into the movie, but, she has reportedly "signed a contract that explicitly details the bare minimum fans will see - including shots of her breasts and butt."

In the past, Biel had been unwilling to bare it all on screen -- much to the disappointment of many I'm sure. The actress had even commented that she had felt she had been overlooked for roles because of it. To be honest, I don't see what all the fuss is about; especially if you remember Biel's controversial Gear magazine shoot back in 2000 -- it's not like the actress has shied away from showing a little skin. Although, Biel was quoted in that same Us Weekly piece as saying that her time as a Gear cover girl left her feeling "humiliated." Biel even recently told Australia's Sunday Herald, "I wouldn't feel comfortable with the extent of the nudity in Monster's Ball, I would be terrified of a role like that right now." So there really must have been something special about Bui's film to change her mind. Blue is currently shooting in Los Angeles and set for release in 2008.

Our EIC, Erik Davis, came up with "The Swayze," and I have to say -- I like it! "The Swayze" just sounds so much better, and so much more epic than just Patrick Swayze. It sounds infamous, and even a little dance-like, which is entirely apt since the guy is a great dancer. Granted, it can also take on the tone of a cheesy number, like "Do the Bartman," but I am trying not to think of it that way. Anyway, The Swayze has just signed on to that flick called Powder Blue, which we have previously posted about here and here.

As you may remember, Blue is about four diverse characters who come together one Christmas Eve, and they are -- a mortician, an ex-con, a suicidal ex-priest and a stripper. While I'm really wishing the female role could be anything but a stripper, because that's so cliche, the lineup is: Forest Whitaker as the ex-priest, Ray Liotta as the ex-con and Jessica Biel as the stripper (and Liotta's daughter).

Now we've got Swayze as the strip club owner, Eddie Redmayne (Babington in the upcoming The Golden Age) as the mortician and newcomer Alejandro Romero as a transsexual prostitute who is close to Whitaker's character. Topping off the powerful male punch, Kris Kristofferson has also signed on as "the head of a corporate crime organization who tries to convince his former employee (Liotta) not to seek vengeance on his former co-workers." The Hollywood Reporter says that the four people meet "through chance, tragedy and divine intervention," so maybe we'll get a little godly action in there as well. Either way, we're sure to get lots and lots of on-screen dysfunctional testosterone.

And now I present you with the day's most awesomest story: Peter Iliff will write and direct a Point Break 2! Ever since watching Hot Fuzz last month, I couldn't help but began craving more Point Break. Though it's been a whopping 16 years since the original arrived in theaters (wow, I feel old), Iliff, who was anxious to move from writing to directing, decided the best way to do so would be to use the sequel to his very first script as his directorial debut. While in Singapore scouting locations, Iliff talked up the long-awaited sequel admitting that "there was some worry that re-visiting the characters I wrote back in 1987 would infuriate fans of the original chapter." Nah, I dig it -- my only concern is that Patrick Swayze might be a bit too old to kick some serious ass.

In the original, Keanu Reeves played a law enforcement agent who goes undercover as a surfer dude in an attempt to expose a gang of bank robbers, led by that hunk from Dirty Dancing. The film itself felt long (even though it was only 2 hours), but some of the action sequences (tell me you don't love that skydiving scene toward the end) rocked. For the sequel (which will be produced by the Singapore-based company RGM films for roughly $30 million), Iliff says it will pick up with Bodhi (Swayze's character) on the run and hiding out in South-east Asia. Yeah, I didn't think that stupid wave killed him at the end of the last one either. As far as Reeves and Swayze go, Iliff says they've been contacted, but there's no word on whether they'll star; as of now, the plan is to cast Asian actors in the main roles. Hey, I'm fine with that, so long as Bodhi doesn't all of a sudden become Asian. That would be odd. Supposedly, Point Break 2 will be released toward the end of next year.

I've never been able to completely wrap my head around how I feel about Patrick Swayze. While I've enjoyed some of his movies, he hasn't garnered extra attention from me. Sure, I used to watch Dirty Dan cing just for the side-shot of his posterior, and oooh over Orry Main, but when the film stopped rolling, I wouldn't wax philosophic about him or his acting. Perhaps this is because he seems to merge a little romantic swooning with well-moving hips and a little too much Disney cheer. Not even time in the Roadhouse or as a motivational pedophile could roughen his presence; it takes more than beard growth to be bad.

Now he's performing in Guys and Dolls, and is all sorts of smitten with London . When an actor starts planning to relocate to the UK, what's more logical than getting grand, 007 daydreams? According to Starpulse, Swayze wants a role in the next James Bond movie. Watch out, Dan iel Craig, Swayze's out to get ya!

While he seems to realize that he wouldn't work as Bond, Swayze wants to put his "terribly good English accent" to villainous use. While I'm sure he could hold his own with a tacky re-make, being a gritty villain seems a bit off-base. Craig has an action background and was still met with apprehension and criticism. Could Swayze be a devious bad guy? As Craig seems to slowly be warming the hearts of Bond naysayers, the door is open for further Bond casting surprises. What casting choice would you make that would seem all wrong, but be so very right?