Studiocanal Buys U.K. Rights to 'The Alan Partridge Movie'

LONDON – Studiocanal has acquired U.K. theatrical rights to Declan Lowney's The Alan Partridge Movie, the big-screen version of the talk and radio show host  creation portrayed by Steve Coogan.

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The French-owned distributor will roll out the picture in August 2013 with the film set to shoot here starting in January.

Coogan's Partridge character is featured in mockumentary series Mid Morning Matters With Alan Partridge about a North Norfolk Digital Radio show.

The movie sees Partridge trying to salvage his career, while negotiating a potentially violent turn of events at North Norfolk Digital Radio.

A Baby Cow and Studiocanal production, The Alan Partridge Movie is written by Peter Baynham, Coogan, Armando Iannucci and Neil and Rob Gibbons.

It is backed by BBC Films and supported in development by the BFI Film Fund. Coogan stars as Partridge.

Lowney directs his second feature after Wild About Harry, with his TV credits including a slew of episodes of Little Britain and Father Ted. Producers are Kevin Loader and Henry Normal, with Iannucci, Danny Perkins, Joe Oppenheimer and Christine Langan as executive producers. Embankment Films is handling international sales.

The Partridge character was quoted as saying that the pact for his British film with Studiocanal was "without doubt the greatest Anglo-French co-operation since the Normandy landings. This time, the heroes aren't Allied servicemen - they're motion picture financiers, who are equally brave."