Billy Elliot to be made into a film (again)

Confused? The play based on a film is to be a film for the second time

Matilda Battersby
Wednesday 13 May 2015 10:35 BST
Comments
Jamie Bell in Billy Elliot
Jamie Bell in Billy Elliot

Billy Elliot, one of the most successful stage musicals of the last decade, is set to be made into a film, despite the stage show having been devised on the strength of a hit movie.

Sir Elton John has revealed plans for another film version this time called Billy Elliot the Musical.

The 2000 film original starring Jamie Bell as a precocious dancer growing up in Thatcher’s Britain and directed by Stephen Daldry had a memorable soundtrack but no singing from the main characters.

Sir Elton, who composed the music for the stage musical spinoff, said yesterday at the 10 anniversary performance of the show: “It would be lovely to do a film version.”

Elton John wrote the score for Billy Elliot

The 68-year-old joked he would play the eccentric grandmother of protagonist Billy - an 11-year-old boy who becomes a ballet dancer against the expectations of a working class community during the 1980s miners' strike in County Durham.

He said: "We have extra songs we didn't include in the film that might have titles such as ‘Goodbye Grandma’ and ‘Not Only Poofs Do Ballet’.

"You can only do so much on stage so it would be nice to change some things."

Speaking after the special anniversary performance at the Victoria Palace Theatre, Daldry and writer Lee Hall confirmed they are planning a film version of the musical.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in