Is Dad’s Army Once Again Heading To The Big Screen?
April 28, 2014 by dracs
43 years ago the television series Dad's Army headed to the big screen, bringing us its iconic characters in a feature film. Now it looks like ol' England still ain't done as the crew from Warmington-on-Sea is getting recast and sent off to the cinema.
As a dyed-in-the-wool Dad's Army fanboy you can imagine my initial reaction to this news.
We're doomed! Doomed!
To my mind, the originals are classics that really don't need to be taken out for another go. However, I'm starting to get a little more hopeful as I see some of the casting.
Captain Mainwaring, initially played by Arthur Lowe, will this time be portrayed by Toby Jones.
This, of course, won't be Jones' first foray into the Second World War as you might recognise him as Arnim Zola from the Captain America movies.
Second, we have one of the all time greats of British cinema stepping into the shoes of John Le Mesurier's Sergeant Wilson; Bill Nighy.
As well as these initially promising casting choices, it has been stated that the original show's creator Jimmy Perry will be one of the film's producers, along with the award winning producer Damian Jones, and that the film's plot will remain faithful to the show.
This is definitely a film I am nervous about. For one, I can't help but feel that it is completely unneeded and whether or not modern day cinema will be able to capture the charm of the original is debatable. Still, the casting is good and with the original creator involved we should at least get an entertaining movie.
Which way do you think this could go guys?
Story found at Yahoo Movies.
I’m a little nervous about this, the actors themselves are top notch but is it really possible to replace the original cast?
I hope it’s a success I really do but I’m swaying more towards the pessimistic end of the scale at the mo.
Fingers crossed hopefully it will do the original series justice.
4 the mother of god plzz don’t let them fek it up
I love that tv show 🙂
NO, just NO, and Bill Nighy can do one – will not see a penny of my money
Astra Militarum 0.1 🙂
Dobby is Capt Mainwearing… I don’t think I could stop seeing that lol
You shall not harm walmington on sea!!!
So incredibly british… a complete failure in the United States, and almost no one has even heard of it on the continent. And it all happened before the eighties.
I wonder how the film will fare, whatever the cast…
It doesn’t get much more obscurely British than Frank Sidebottom but that hasn’t stopped a film being made about him.
I had never heard of it before you just mentioned it to me, let alone that there was a film… I guess every country has its obscure references that never export well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk-hWzq67w4
This looks only mildly psychologically scarring. It indeed is in the whole “sundance, we have beards and tattoos” movement thing. I have a beard and tattoos, and I still flee from THAT drivel. It’s okay, I don’t COMPLETELY feel suicidal, now.
What really surprised me was the success of “Are You Being Served” in America, which was written by one of the team behind Dad’s Army about the same time. Both have subject matter that you wouldn’t expect to export well, one flew and one didn’t. As for a Dad’s army revival, hard to think of many successful long term resurrections, either end up being faithful to the original, so you wonder half way through why you’re not just watching the original again (Carrie, Psycho to name but too recent efforts), or see a drastic change in tone rendering them unwatchable,… Read more »
If the film is a flop. No worries the TV series will still be a classic.
I am someone who is nervous about National Pride etc, however if I was to describe any patriotism within me, it would be best likened to Dads Army. They are doing a brave thing, and my first instincts were “OH NO!”. However impressive cast and hopefully it might be fantastic! (I could cope with nothing less.)
This is flawed..on so many levels… They already made the film with the original cast The original film was basically the first series made in colour I reckon they will have to do a very similar story again..I.e. how they all came to be.
It is not possible to get a cast that would work. .they would always be compared to the originals..happens in every remake. It will be too British to make any money.
I can actually see this working and will explain why. It is not the nostalgia audience this is for but simply put it is a well trodden idea that was funny and could easily be again. The modern market wont be about people who know the original series, although they are almost safe money in the UK, but the people who like British comedy. With enough of the right people and a funny script it is less important what it is based on and more if it will modernise well. Good comedy from the UK works abroad and there are… Read more »
I don’t think this is a good idea. It will need to be perfectly written and executed to even have a chance. They can’t just reinvent the old series as it won’t appeal to a big enough audience and if they make them mainstream it won’t be Dad’s Army as we know it…….so I don’t know. I reckon this is a one build army, with a only one list that is competitive and a lot of ways to stuff it up.
The latest Indiana Jones I hated when I saw it at the cinema as I had such high expectations it was never going to match them. Having watched it since I now really quite enjoy it. I think this will be the same, it will never replace the originals but taken as a stand alone film I can still see it being really enjoyable.
I think you guys are being a bit pessimistic here, just think back to those other great remakes of british stuff. Wicker Man, Get Carter, The Italian Job….Oh crap, its going to be awful isnt it?
I tend to feel that remakes are usually best done with unknown actors then you don’t have any preconceived ideas about them.
fingers crossed it isn’t being made just for money and so some of the original makes it across
This is going to be utter, cringeworthy crap. All the actors will be trying too hard to be well established characters and it will be painful to watch since they’re just plainly not the real deal, and won’t cut it. It’s all just being done for the money by people who just want to cash in on the popularity of the original show. The old series was a classic because of it’s cast and the writers. This will be a poor imitation, as it will have none of that. No matter how good the writers or actors are, it will… Read more »
I dunno, it can be done well. There was a biopic of Morecambe and Wise a few years ago and the two actors played the parts perfectly.
It’ll be much trickier to pull off trying to impersonate a whole ensemble cast than just two guys. Can you imagine who they’ll get to play Jones or Fraser? I shudder to think! I just hope against hope they don’t get Danny-effing-Dyer or Shane-bloody-Richie to play the part of Walker, lol! Maybe Sean Pertwee could play Hodges since he’s related to Bill Pertwee, but I don’t know who else could be in it. The point is, while it could work in biopics, these actors and writers are going to have to try and recreate what’s already been done perfectly before.… Read more »
Not sure if Sean could pull off Hodges. He hasn’t got the nose for it. 😛
There was a Dad’s Army made in 1971 with the original cast: – http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066963/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2
And if the new lot get it wrong, they are DOOMED! DOOMED!
No no no…. Dad’s Army is a classic, both the TV series and the 1971 movie. Don’t do anything else to it. It’s not needed. The last TV show tied up the loose ends and had a very touching scene with the cast toasting to the real members of the Home Guard as a tribute. Leave it there. One of the creators is no longer with us, so stop! The writer of Only Fools and Horses passed away and the cast said they wouldn’t do anymore as the show would be different, this is no different. I hate to be… Read more »
It’ll be much trickier to pull off trying to impersonate a whole ensemble cast than just two guys. Can you imagine who they’ll get to play Jones or Fraser? I shudder to think! I just hope against hope they don’t get Danny f*****g Dyer or Shane bloody Richie to play the part of Walker, lol!
if it’s done well it could work, if it isn’t a straight copy it’ll work, the actors are good enough to pull off the roles it’ll work. On the note of actors being recast and another actor playing the same character look at Game of Thrones and there are several actors that are in for a season or more then another actor replaces them as the same character http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Recast_Characters?display=exhibition&sort=mostvisited
Dad’s army is a classic, also here in holland, loved it