Too edgy for TV?
Morris's jihad comedy is now a film
Chris Morris’s comedy about Islamic terrorists is to be released as a film, after both the BBC and Channel 4 rejected it for TV.It is believed the broadcasters may have considered the subject matter too controversial to air. However, Channel 4’s movie arm, Film4, has now put up the money for the as-yet untitled project.
The comedy centres on would-be suicide bombers from the North of England, and Morris once said he wanted to do for Islamic terrorism what Dad's Army did for the Nazis by showing them as ‘scary but also ridiculous’.
A Channel 4 spokeswoman told trade magazine Broadcast: ‘Channel 4 has a long history of working with Chris Morris, and a significant funding contribution towards his latest project is being made.
‘It was agreed at a very early stage that the project would work best as a film and from this point was developed through Film4.’
The film is being produced by Warp Films, the small independent studio which made its film debut with Morris' short My Wrongs #8245-8249 & 117 in 2002.
As with all Film4 projects, Channel 4 will have first refusal on the TV rights to show the film, once it has been screened in cinemas.
Published: 23 Sep 2008
