Steve Coogan has announced that he will be reprising his famous comic role of Alan Partridge in full-length format after confirming that the film - long reported to be being made about the fictional Norfolk Nights radio show host and former TV presenter - will be coming out in August 2013. The film will be co-written with Armando Ianucci, Peter Baynham and Neil and Robin Gibbons, reports the Metro newspaper.
Announcing that the movie would be backed by French based StudioCanal, Coogan said in character, "This is without doubt the greatest Anglo-French co-operation since the Normandy landings.This time, the heroes aren't Allied servicemen - they're motion picture financiers, who are equally brave." Ianucci, a long time collaborator with Coogan, commented that Partridge fans need not worry about his character being placed in an overblown Hollywood-style script, saying "Alan is in Norwich. It's not Alan goes to Hollywood [or] Alan invaded by aliens. He's on North Norfolk Digital, which is taken over by a bigger media conglomerate and has its name changed to Shape."
Partridge is perhaps one of the most influential comic characters of the past 20 years, and began his comeback with a series of Foster-sponsored webisodes last year. They were so successful that the comeback has gained real momentum and he made his full TV return last night on the Sky Atlantic show 'Welcome To The Places Of My Life'.