Eric Idle's writing the script, to shoot next year

It’s a stage musical inspired by a movie. And now Monty Python’s Spamalot is to come full circle and be made into a film itself.

The 20th Century Fox studio has snapped up the rights to the hit Monty Python show, with filming due to start next spring.

Eric Idle, who co-wrote the live show, is penning the script, and also producing.

Casey Nicholaw, who has directed Mean Girls and Book Of Mormon on Broadway, is to helm the project, but casting has not yet started.

Based on the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spamalot launched on Broadway in 2005, coming to the West End the following year.

 And it is still going strong, a UK tour – currently making an international stop in Dubai – is just about to wrap up, playing Doncaster next week and Shrewsbury from May 15.

But not all Idle’s Python colleagues were delighted with the musical. 

Terry Jones thought it was ‘utterly pointless… full of air’ adding: ’It isn’t really Python; it is very much Eric’ – but conceded it was ‘terrific good fun’ for the audience. 

But John Cleese said: ‘ It's the silliest thing I’ve ever seen and I think Eric did a great job.’

Last month Idle also revealed that he has written his autobiography.

Published: 4 May 2018