Mike Bassett To Kickstart England Campaign
Mike Bassett is set to return to management in a sequel to the 2001 Mike Bassett: England Manager, which will be part-funded by fans via crowd-sourcing website, Kickstarter.
Mike Bassett: Interim Manager will see Ricky Tomlinson reprise his role as the national coach, with the funding approach offering fans a chance to be a part of the film.
From this week, through until 20th November, fans of the film will be able to contribute cash to the production in exchange for gifts and rewards – ranging from a Mike Bassett ringtone to a speaking role in the film.
Check the film’s progress here.
Directed by Steve Barron (Mike Bassett, Coneheads, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and produced by Leo Pearlman for Fulwell 73 (Class of ’92), the film sees Mike Bassett falling on hard times after a series of ill-advised career moves, including stints in Germany and with the Iranian national team…who have mistaken him for QPR manager Harry Redknapp.
However, when England’s successful German manager gets another job just weeks before the World Cup, the Interim Manager steps in.
As well as Tomlinson, Amanda Redman and Bradley Walsh are in the frame to reprise their roles as Karine Bassett and assistant manager Dave ‘Doddsy’ Dodds, while Inglorious Basterds star Til Schweiger is reportedly in ‘advanced discussions’ for the role of the enigmatic German manager Jorgen Mannstein.
Filming for the movie will begin in March 2015 and will be aiming to hit screens early in 2016.
Director Steve Barron said: ‘I had such a great time making the first movie, and watching Bassett become such a football icon over the years has been wonderful. With the Germans dominating football again, we brainstormed a really fun idea and it felt right to bring him back. We can’t wait to get started.’
‘It’s the passion of the fans that convinced us a Bassett return is welcome and that’s why we’re looking to create a film that is partially fan-funded via Kickstarter. It’s innovative fundraising and enables us to create a film for football fans, made by football fans.’
Ricky Tomlinson added: ‘It was an easy decision for me to play Mike again. Who wouldn’t want to be England manager without all the stress of actually having the job? Whenever I speak to football fans there’s such affection for Bassett that it’s hard to ignore the demand.’
‘The Kickstarter element is a brilliant way of getting people involved in the film. It’s a football film for football fans so it’s great to recreate the same collectiveness you see on the terraces in a movie.’
