Focus Boards Film Adaptation of Cult Brit Comedy ‘People Just Do Nothing’

The much-anticipated feature film adaptation of cult British mockumentary People Just Do Nothing is now in production, with Focus Features and BBC Films backing the project. 

After five seasons of the series on the BBC and Netflix and two BAFTA wins, People Just Do Nothing: Big in Japan is shooting in Japan and the U.K. for six weeks, with the film set to be released in August across the U.K. and Ireland, where Universal will handle distribution.

Following a group of friends — led by Chabuddy G — who run the pirate radio station Kurupt FM, People Just Do Nothing: Big in Japan shifts the focus to Asia after the boys hear that one of their songs has been used on a popular game show in Japan. They’ve made it! Their music is reaching hundreds of thousands of people! It’s finally time for them to enjoy the fame and fortune that they’ve always known they deserved. 

The film stars Allan Mustafa (MC Grindah), Hugo Chegwin (DJ Beats), Asim Chaudhry (Chabuddy G), Steve Stamp (Steves), Dan Sylvester (Decoy), Lily Brazier (Miche), Hitomi Souno (Miki) and Ken Yamamura (Taka).

People Just Do Nothing: Big in Japan is written by Stamp and Mustafa, with additional material by Chaudhry, Hugo Chegwin and Lily Brazier. The film is directed by Jack Clough (People Just Do Nothing, Skins) and produced by Claire Jones (Ghost Stories, The Festival) and Tim Sealey for Roughcut.

“Japan is the most advanced city in the world so it makes perfect sense that they would recognize our lyrical talent,” said MC Grindah. “We can’t wait to go over there and completely destroy the music scene. In a good way.”

Added Chabuddy G: “You know me, I can sell anything mate. Ice to an Eskimo, halal meat to a racist vegan…selling garage music to Japan is water off a duck’s beak mate.”

The film is a Roughcut production and was developed by BBC Films and BBC Comedy. It is the first ever BBC Three series to be developed into a feature film. Focus Features and BBC Films financed the project and Universal Pictures International will distribute the film in the U.K. and Ireland.

Executive producers are Ash Atalla, Jon Petrie and Christos Michaels for Roughcut, Rose Garnett for BBC Films and Shane Allen, controller of BBC Comedy.

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