Jun 19, 2010

Tradecraft: Johnny English Gets A New Sidekick

Deadline reports that Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson) will have a new colleague in the previously reported sequel: Daniel Kaluuya. I don't think I'm familiar with Kaluuya's work (although he was in an episode of Doctor Who that I saw), but he's worked with a bunch of the guys from The League of Gentlemen in Psychoville (which I've yet to see), so that makes him alright in my book.  The 21-year-old actor is probably most famous for his work as a writer and actor on Skins.  The report only says that he'll be playing a fellow agent and not specifically Johnny's partner, so I hope that still leaves room for Ben Miller to return as hapless sidekick Bough, as I thought he (and his relationship with Atkinson) was one of the funniest things about the first film, which I love. The trade blog also reveals that filming on the sequel (under the direction of Oliver Parker) is set to begin in September, and that "this time around, Atkinson bumblingly flushes out traitors in Her Majesty’s Secret Service."  It's not much to go on, but I like the sound of that plot description.  Dare we conclude that this installment, with its mole hunt plot, will take aim at the Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy school of spy movies more than Bond?  That would be fresh territory for parody, so I find the notion appealing...

1 comment:

  1. This gets my award for most random DOCTOR WHO Connection of the day! He was funny in PLANET OF THE DEAD, though -- his reaction when the Doctor tells him his gold watch is fake was very droll.

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