The surrealist sketch show occupies a special place in the pantheon of British comedy. And Oliver admits that, as a British person, fealty to the comedy troupe that included Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam is compulsory. But in his case, he says, “It’s also true.”
LONDON – The last night of the Monty Python Live (mostly) from the British capital will be distributed to 450 movie theaters across the U.K. and 1,500 across the world.
International distribution rights to broadcast the comedy troupe’s reunion show July 20, the final night in a run of 10 shows beginning July 1 at the British capital’s O2 Arena, operated by live event promoter AEG Live, has been snapped up by Picturehouse Entertainment.
Picturehouse Entertainment, the distribution division of the exhibition giant Cineworld-owned indie exhibitor Picturehouse Cinemas, secured the deal to distribute the show in both the U.K. and overseas, with the show set to land in U.S. theaters through the deal.
The five remaining members of the U.K. comedy troupe — John Cleese, Eric Idle,Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin and Terry Jones — plan to reunite to perform versions of its more memorable skits, sketches and trademark quirky humor this summer.
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The sixth Python, Graham Chapman, died in 1989, hence the word “mostly” in the show title. It is also believed to refer to the expected use of video and projections during the stage shows.
The plan for the movie theater screening of the final show is to give fans who are not able to get to or get tickets for the sold-out shows to get a chance to say farewell to the Pythons.
The live show will be directed by Aubrey Powell and produced by Fiz Oliver.
Monty Python is often billed as influencing a generation and revolutionizing comedy.
The huge demand for tickets to the first live performance at the O2 by the stars of Monty Python since performing at the Hollywood Bowl on Sept. 15, 1980, and 40 years after they last appeared on stage in the U.K. at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane made headlines, selling out the cavernous O2 arena in 43.5 seconds.
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“Thanks to the wonderful invention of moving pictures, The Last Night of Monty Python is coming to a cinema near you. Join the crowd live from London’s O2 in a final weepy, hilarious, uproarious, outrageous farewell to the five remaining Pythons as they head for The Old Jokes Home…on the big screen, in HD,” said the Pythons, who have a combined age of “just 357,” in a statement.
“Picturehouse Entertainment continue to push the boundaries of live cinema broadcasts in what is set to be one of the biggest and certainly funniest events of the year,” said Marc Allenby, head of commercial development at the distributor.
Monty Python first hit British TV screens with the Flying Circus, which saw 45 episodes broadcast over four BBC series between 1969 and 1974.
The troupe went on to make films Monty Python and the Holy Grail in 1975, Life of Brian in 1979 and their final film, The Meaning of Life, in 1983.
