As if going from being a mobile phone salesman to a best-selling opera singer virtually overnight isn’t enough, Paul Potts, winner of the first series of Britain’s Got Talent, is now set to have a biopic made of his life by Paramount.
The UK’s original Mr. Nasty, Simon Cowell, will produce the film alongside Relevant Entertainment’s Michael Menchel and Steve Whitney.
According to Variety, Paramount Pictures acquired the rights to Potts life story after Menchel contacted Cowell with the idea of turning Potts life story in to a movie.
Cowell remembers the day that the humble Potts, who looks the antithesis of a singing star, walked on to the stage to perform:
“That particular day was one of the worst, the acts were just terrible, we were fed up and on comes this guy with a funny little suit and bad teeth who looked very nervous,”
“I can remember looking at the other judges, with that ‘here we go again’ feeling. We had 2,000 people in the audience, and I’ll never forget how much the room changed when he began singing.”
The film is set to be marketed as a kind of new Billy Elliot, with a man fulfilling his lifelong dream, and going from zero to hero through sheer grit, determination, and of course, talent.
I like the idea, my only beef would be having Cowell as producer: Hasn’t he got enough fingers in enough pies without having to move in to the movie business too? The man is taking over the world with his high waisted pants! Save us!
