Take That will soon be hitting the big screen with a film adaptation of the West End show The Band.
The chart topping group teamed up with Calendar Girls writer Tim Firth, 55, back in 2017 to launch a lavish stage musical drama featuring many of their hit songs.
Following a BBC talent search to find a cast of young men to play the lead characters, The Band opened to middling reviews in 2017 and toured the UK and Europe for two years.
Now Tim, Gary Barlow, et all are hoping to bring the production to an even wider audience by upscaling the project for a big screen outing, and plans are afoot for filming to commence next summer, while the project is being re-named Greatest Days instead of The Band for the big screen.
Danny Perkins, chief executive of the Elysian Film Group, told the Daily Mail: “We’re putting it together, and once all the serious things settle down, we can get on with making it.”
The storyline of The Band features five 16-year-old schoolgirls who are obsessed with a fictional boy band, and their delight for their music is reignited 25-years-later when the women reunite following a tragedy.
“It’s about friendship and the power of the songs they loved,” writer Tim explained.
“The band and the bits are secondary; it’s about the fans who loved them,” he added.
Meanwhile Danny teased that the film version may also include brand new music from Take that, as he confirmed he is in “conversation” with Take that to write a new song.
The Band wasn't the first stage musical to feature the music of Take That.
A musical called Never Forget was staged in 2007 featuring the music of the band, but also featured tunes made famous by other artists including Barry Manilow.
The release was met with praise from critics – however controversy threatened to eclipse the production.
Take That released a statement to declare: "this production is absolutely and 100 per cent nothing to do with Take That," and the show stopped touring after 2009.
