Danny Boyle Set To Direct New Sex Pistols Biopic Series, ‘Pistol’
The six-part series is based upon Steve Jones’ 2018 memoir ‘Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol’
Danny Boyle is set to oversee a brand new series about Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones called Pistol, it has been announced.
Based on Jones’ 2018 memoir Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol, the limited FX series has also lined-up a stellar cast, including Game of Thrones‘ Maisie Williams, who will play punk icon Jordan – aka Pamela Rooke – and Babyteeth‘s Toby Wallace as Jones.
Anson Boon (1917) will play John Lydon, Louis Partridge (Enola Homes) will take on Sid Vicious, Jacob Slater stars as Paul Cook and Fabien Frankel (The Serpent) will play Glen Matlock.
Additionally, Dylan Llewellyn (Derry Girls) has been cast as Wally Nightingale, Sydney Chandler (Don’t Worry Darling) will portray Chrissie Hynde and Emma Appleton (The Witcher) stars as Nancy Spungen.
According to advance PR, the six-part Pistol “moves from West London’s council estates, to Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren’s notorious Kings Road SEX shop, to the international controversy that came with the release of Never Mind the Bollocks, which is frequently listed as one of the most influential albums of all time.
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“Their single ‘God Save the Queen’ was banned by the BBC and reached Number 1 on the UK’s NME chart, but appeared at Number 2 on the Official UK Singles chart, leading to accusations that the song was purposely kept off the top spot,” the description adds. “For the only time in chart history, the track was listed as a blank, to avoid offence to the monarchy.”
Boyle, who serves as director and executive producer, described the Pistols’ breakthrough as “the moment that British society and culture changed forever”.
“Imagine breaking into the world of The Crown and Downton Abbey with your mates and screaming your songs and your fury at all they represent,” the director said. “This is the moment that British society and culture changed forever.
“It is the detonation point for British street culture… where ordinary young people had the stage and vented their fury and their fashion… and everyone had to watch & listen…and everyone feared them or followed them. The Sex Pistols. At its center was a young charming illiterate kleptomaniac – a hero for the times – Steve Jones, who became in his own words, the 94th greatest guitarist of all time. This is how he got there,” Boyle added.
Pistol, which has been created by Craig Pearce (The Great Gatsby) and written by Pearce and Frank Cottrell-Boyce (24 Hour Party People), will begin filming on March 7, though no official premiere date has been confirmed yet.
