The Who have criticised plans for a sequel to Quadrophenia, the film based on their rock opera of the same name.
The Mirror last month published a report that To Be Someone would be set 35 years after the original – and stars including Phil Daniels and Toyah Wilcox were said to be reprising their roles.
Pete Townsend, Roger Daltrey and their manager Bill Curbishley have since issued an official statement distancing themselves from the project.
Curbishley said, “Quadrophenia has an enduring appeal and will forever be THE definitive mod film. Quadrophenia is a significant and influential film based on The Who’s music not some Carry On franchise. Any follow up to this film could only be made by the authors of the original and would need to be worthy of the name. This karaoke sequel announced recently in the press would be totally ridiculous”.
The new film, which doesn’t feature Sting, Leslie Ash or Ray Winstone, let along any words or music from The Who is, as far as the group and original producer are concerned, “a blatant attempt to cash in” on the original’s enduring popularity.
Curbishley added that he “found it hard to understand why any of the original cast would lend themselves to this crass attempt to cash in on the excellence of the original when this quite clearly isn’t a sequel”.
“The band and management are keen to confirm that the project isn’t endorsed by The Who, Who Films, Universal or any of the other rights owners of the original.”
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