The Full Monty TV Series Is Coming From Disney With Original Cast Returning

What if I went out on a limb and proclaimed this news to be the absolute most unbelievable thing you'll ever read today? Wait, hold on just one second. I'm just receiving an update to my current location underneath this rock that certain other things, in fact, occurred over the last 24 hours that might jeopardize such a bold claim. In light of this new information, I'll simply have to relegate this to the second most unbelievable thing you'll read.

In 1997, an unassuming little British comedy film called "The Full Monty" burst onto the scene and became a smash hit at the worldwide box office. Directed by Peter Cattaneo from a script by Simon Beaufoy ("Slumdog Millionaire," "127 Hours," "Battle of the Sexes"), the film starred actors Robert Carlyle, Tom Wilkinson, Mark Addy, and more in a story about a batch of jobless steelworkers resorting to amateur stripping and, well, going "the full monty." Now that the original Fox Searchlight property has made its way to the most IP-happy studio currently in the business in the almost decade and a half since its release (good Lord, that long? Time no longer has meaning), Disney is planning on turning the risqué sensation into a new streaming series ... on the famously family-conscious studio's fancy streaming service for those living overseas, at least. Interesting times, folks.

This rather unexpected news was announced by Searchlight and FX (via THR), with the reveal that filming has already commenced in the UK (specifically the cities of Sheffield and Manchester, the former of which the original movie is set in). The production will bring back many of the original cast members while also introducing a whole new generation of characters, made up of the children and grandchildren of the original cast of characters. Read on for all the details!

Did those outside the United States get a severe case of tonal whiplash once the Disney acquisition of Fox meant that movies like the "Alien" franchise and so many others would start showing up on Disney+, violence, nudity, and sex all included? Did your head start spinning even further after Marvel's Netflix original shows make their official migration over to the Disney streaming service as well? That feeling is likely to grow even stronger once international audiences are able to pop in a TV series adaptation of "The Full Monty" on Disney+ once the project premieres.

For those of us in the United States, we'll be able to watch this production on Hulu, while those in Latin America can expect the series to come to Star+. All the same, the new continuation of the story will reunite original (and Oscar-winning) screenwriter Simon Beaufoy with producer Uberto Pasolini, along with the lead cast of stars. Robert Carlyle ("Trainspotting"), Mark Addy ("A Knight's Tale," "Game of Thrones"), Lesley Sharp ("Before We Die"), Hugo Speer ("Shadow and Bone"), Paul Barber ("The Dumping Ground," "Gloves Off"), Steve Huison ("The Royle Family," The Navigators"), Wim Snape ("Gentleman Jack"), and Tom Wilkinson ("The Patriot," "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "Batman Begins") are all set to reprise their roles.

The series will unfold over 8 parts and is created, written, and executive produced by Beaufoy and directed by Andrew Chaplin and Catherine Morshead. The series has been described as following "the original band of brothers as they navigate the post-industrial city of Sheffield and society's crumbling health care, education, and employment sectors. The series will explore the brighter, sillier, and more humane way forward where communal effort can still triumph over adversity." It remains to be seen just how much actual stripping — if any? — Disney will allow. As Beaufoy said in a statement,

"We're chuffed to bits to get all the Monty Men back together again — now with a chaotic entourage of children, grandchildren, pets and assorted hangers-on — to see what life in Sheffield is like 25 years on."