Inbetweeners Portrait - H 2011
Make way for a new British invasion.
Paramount Pictures is the latest studio to jump on the limey bandwagon by putting a big-screen Americanized adaption of The Inbetweeners into its pipeline.
STORY: MTV Announces ‘Inbetweeners’ Premiere Date
The popular Brit sitcom, which follows the lives of a quartet of suburban teens who fall somewhere in the middle of the cool-to-geek spectrum, already has spawned a 2011 feature adaptation on the other side of the pond, which became the top-grossing comedy in U.K. history. That movie will be released Sept. 7 in the U.S. by Wrekin Hill.
In response to ’Tweener fever, Paramount has tapped Iain Morris, who co-created the series with Damon Beesley, to write and direct the U.S. version of the film, which is currently untitled.
The move represents some nifty corporate synergy for Paramount’s parent company Viacom, whose MTV is set to debut an American take on the property Aug. 20. MTV’s Inbetweeners stars Joey Pollari, Bubba Lewis, Zack Pearlman and Mark L. Young. Before MTV took a stab at the series, ABC produced a pilot based on the Brit show in 2008 that was never picked up.
With 50 Shades’ EL James burning up the best-sellers lists and Downton Abbey gaining an obsessive following Stateside, all things British are suddenly white hot. Add to that a group of U.K. actors commandeering Hollywood’s most-coveted superhero roles and the London Summer Olympics looming.
STORY: Toronto 2011: IM Global to Shop Late-Summer U.K. Hit ‘Inbetweeners’
Morris’ writing credits also include the Brit Inbetweeners film and episodes of Flight of the Conchords.
He is repped by CAA.
