Dad's Army is one of the greatest sitcoms of all time and now these wonderful characters are going to be brought to a new generation in 2016.
Dad's Army
Yes, Dad's Army is coming to the big screen in the new year as some of this country's best actors take over these iconic roles for the first time.
I am a big fan of the original TV series and I cannot wait to see what director Oliver Parker and writer Hamish McColl deliver with this new film. Park is no stranger to the director's chair with the likes of St Trinian's and St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold under his belt - however, this is his first feature since Johnny English Reborn back in 2011.
We have a whole host of movies coming our way at the beginning of 2016 that boast impressive cast lists... and Dad's Army is right up there with one of the best line-ups of British acting talent.
Toby Jones, Bill Nighty, Tom Courtenay, Daniel Mays, Bill Paterson, Michael Gambon, and Blake Harrison will be introduced as Captain Mainwaring, Sergeant Wilson, Lance Corporal Jones, Private Walker, Private Frazer, Private Godfrey, and Private Pike.
Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mark Gatiss, Emily Atack, Sarah Lancashire, Alison Steadman, Ian Lavender, and Annette Crosbie make up the rest of the impressive cast list. It is great to see Lavender included in the film, having played Pike in the original television series.
It is 1944 and World War II is reaching its climax. The Allies are poised to invade France and finally defeat the German army. But in Walmington-on-Sea morale amongst the Home Guard is low. Their new mission then - to patrol the Dover army base - is a great chance to revive spirits and reputation, that is until glamorous journalist Rose Winters arrives to write about their exploits, setting the pulses racing and putting the local women on red alert.
MI5 then discover a radio signal sent direct to Berlin from Walmington-on-Sea. There's a spy on the loose! The outcome of the war is suddenly at stake, and it falls to our unlikely heroes to stand up and be counted.
When it comes to British TV institutions, there are few bigger, more loved, and more enduring than Dad's Army, which is a popular today as it was when it first hit the small screen. This is a risky project to adapt into a feature, but it really does look set to be one of the unmissable British films for 2016.
While there's no doubt that Dad's Army has been made with a lot of love and respect for the original series, this film will bring these characters to a new audience and take them in a new and different direction. I really cannot wait to see what they deliver. Hopefully, this will be the start of a great new comedy film franchise.
Dad's Army is released 5th February 2016.
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