Filming begins in South of France

Filming has begun on the Absolutely Fabulous movie – and this is the first image from the set.

Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley will be shooting on location in the UK and the south of France for the next seven weeks.

‘I am thrilled and excited to finally start filming,’ said Saunders, who also wrote the script. ‘We are all on the Sanatogen and hoping for the best.’

Returning to their familiar roles are Julia Sawalha as Saffy, Jane Horrocks as Bubble and June Whitfield as Mother.

The plot involves Edina and Patsy getting blamed for a major incident at a fashionable launch party. They become entangled in a media storm and are relentlessly pursued by the paparazzi and are forced to flee penniless to the French Riviera. And there they hatch a plan to make their escape permanent.

The film will also feature a list of A-list cameos, including Kate Moss. Harry Styles and Kim Kardashian have also been reported to be making appearances, but have not been confirmed.

Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie is being produced by Fox Searchlight Pictures and BBC Films and directed by Mandie Fletcher, who previously worked on the TV series as well as Jam & Jerusalem, Stella and Miranda.

Christine Langan, Head of BBC Films, said: ‘Ab Fab on the big screen is a treat we’ve been hotly anticipating. We’re very proud to join Jennifer and her terrific team for this delicious reunion.’

Published: 19 Oct 2015