Wheels On Fire: An Ab Fab Movie!
They did hangovers long before 'The Hangover'.
Absolutely Fabulous is coming to the big screen and heads are imploding. Says series creator and star Jennifer Saunders, "We thought it would be hilarious if [Edina and Patsy] went to a party on an oligarch's yacht, got drunk, fell asleep, and woke up in the middle of the ocean. Everyone else has left, and the ship has been moved on." Saunders will begin work on the script next year following her work on the Spice Girls' musical Viva Forever. Is this real life? "We hope that, like a good bottle of champagne, we have grown better with age but lost none of our sparkle... We fully intend to party like it's 1991," says Saunders.
The original series aired sporadically between 1992 and 2004. BBC America has co-produced three TV specials in the lead-up to the film, with the first airing at Christmas. The BBC says the movie will pick up exactly where the series left off, with Eddy resting comfortably at the bottom of a champagne glass and Patsy living the high life. "[Eddy] was into every new fad and fashion imaginable," they say. "Not much has changed." We can't wait to see Eddy's take on the pantsless trend.
The BBC also says that Eddy will be doing PR work for a very high-profile client - which we can read as a hint that the cast will include a major guest star. The trillions of cameos on the series over the years have included Helena Bonham Carter, Naomi Campbell, Britt Ekland, Marianne Faithful, Anita Pallenberg, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Christian Lacroix, Debbie Harry, Suzi Quatro and Twiggy. For the movie (and to provide Edina with a challenge) we're thinking Hugh Grant, Lindsay Lohan or Qantas.
To celebrate the news, sit back with a bottle of champagne and revisit some of Patsy and Edina's greatest fashion triumphs.
The entire series, including the specials to date, is available on DVD. Until then, why not whet your appetite with a short clip featuring Patsy and Edina arriving at the airport?
Emily Royal
