The Full Monty: release date of Disney+ series being filmed in Manchester, and is Robert Carlyle in the cast?

Popular British movie ‘The Full Monty’ is getting the Hollywood treatment, as it has been announced that Disney+ are to revive the movie, and turn it into a TV series.

The movie was a box office hit, and was at one point the highest grossing movie in the United Kingdom, until it was outsold by Titanic.

Production is now underway in Manchester and Sheffield.

What was The Full Monty about?

The film was set in Sheffield during the 1990s, and tells the story of an unemployed group of men, who are seeking work and money after the steel mill they worked at closed down.

They decide the best route for money is to create and perform their own male striptease act, reminiscent and in style of The Chippendale dancers.

Gaz - portrayed by Robert Carlyle - makes the statement that their show will trump the Chippendales as they will strip all the way and go ‘the full monty’.

Despite the comedic value of the movie, it also highlighted some social issues that occur, such as unemployment, social division, father’s rights, depression and body image, some issues that are still prominent 25 years on from the movie.

What will the reboot be about?

The reboot will be a new eight episode series, lightly based on the original movie.

Twenty-five years on, the plot will catch up with the characters as they face new issues. They will navigate healthcare, education and employment in today’s current state.

Disney+ said the series “will explore the brighter, sillier and more humane way forward where communal effort can still triumph over adversity”.

Has the cast been confirmed?

The cast has been confirmed, and will reunite the original cast a quarter of a century on.

The cast for the reboot is:

Robert Carlyle (Gaz); Mark Addy (Dave); William Snape (Nathan); Steve Huison (Lumper); Tom Wilkinson (Gerald); Hugo Speer (Guy); Paul Barber (Horse) and Lesley Sharp (Jean).

Robert Carlyle is no stranger to being on a Disney+ production, as he portrayed the big and bad Rumpelstilskin/Mr Gold on the show Once Upon A time, which is available to stream now on Disney+.

Screenwriter Simon Beaufoy said: "We’re chuffed to bits to get all the Monty Men back together again - now with a chaotic entourage of children, grandchildren, pets and assorted hangers-on - to see what life in Sheffield is like 25 years on."

Lee Mason, director of scripted content for Disney, said : "Twenty-five years ago Simon introduced us to a group of funny, fearless and resilient unemployed working-class men from Sheffield and the world fell in love with them.

"We’re delighted to reunite the original cast for this brand-new series on Disney+ to catch up with these iconic characters and what they’ve been up to since we last saw them on stage in all their glory, and we can’t wait to introduce a host of exciting new faces and characters."

How well did the original movie do?

The original movie was a box office sensation, and went on to make £154 million in the UK box office, and just shy of £200 million (£197 million) in the United States and was nominated for an astounding four Oscars, winning for best original movie or comedy score.

The awards didn’t stop there, as the movie also won a best-film Bafta award.

Robert Carlyle also won a Screen Actor Guild Award and the Bafta for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

When will it air?

The show will air on Disney+ in the UK and on Hulu in the US, but no official release date has been announced.

The show is part of a scheme by Disney+ to release 60 local productions by 2024, so it could be around that time that the show is available.