Inspired by BhS chief Philip Green?

Steve Coogan and David Mitchell are to star in a new satirical movie about the super-rich.

Coogan will play  ‘a ruthless, perma-tanned and self-absorbed retail clothing billionaire’  possibly based on former BhS chief Philip Green.

Mitchell takes the role of a ‘mild-mannered journalist hired by Coogan’s character to chronicle his life story’.

Sacha Baron Cohen was originally tipped to play the shopping tycoon,  dubbed ‘the unacceptable face of capitalism’ but appears to have dropped out.

The movie is being directed by Michael Winterbottom, who previously worked with Coogan on The Trip series, 24 Hour Party People  and A Cock And Bull Story.

The movie was originally titled Greed, but Hollywood website Deadline, which broke the news,  said that was now changing.

The Trip’s producer Melissa Parmenter is also behind this project, along with The Iron Lady producer Damian Jones.

Coogan and Mitchell have not appeared together before, but they clashed in print 2013 when the Alan Partridge star took issue with comments the Peep Show comedian had made against the involvement of politicians in press regulation, Coogan’s pet subject

Published: 7 Sep 2018