Norwich DJ, and TV icon, Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan) is set to star in his own full-length feature film, appropriately titled Alan Partridge: The Movie. The film will see Partridge “salvage his public career while negotiating a potentially violent turn of events“ – no doubt going several shades of wrong along the way.
The film will be directed by Declan Loweny of UK TV series’ Father Ted, Cold Feet and Little Britain renown; and written by Coogan, Peter Baynham (Borat) and Armando Iannuci (In The Loop) Neil Gibbons and Rob Gibbons. All of the co-writers have worked with Coogan (as Partridge) previously. Iannuci has said of the script: “Alan is in Norwich. It’s not Alan goes to Hollywood or Alan invaded by aliens. He’s on North Norfolk Digital, which is taken over by a bigger media conglomerate and has its name changed to Shape.”
True to form Alan Partridge has put out his own press release for the film. In it, Alan talks about the partnership with French production company StudioCanal: “I’m simultaneously gladdened and pleased to see a British film being co-funded by the French dudes at StudioCanal. This is without doubt the greatest Anglo-French co-operation since the Normandy landings.” He continues, “I’d also like to add that ‘canal’ – or, in English, ‘canal’ – is a transportation system close to my heart. In the late 18th century, this new method of logistics halved the price of coal in many English cities. If Studiocanal’s investment can achieve even a fraction of that, I will be delighted.”
The film is set to begin shooting in January 2013 and will be released in the UK in August of the same year. Let’s hope we get it not long after.
Kiss my face! I can‘t help but be excited by this announcement. Are you?
