Beloved Children’s Show Being Turned Into Movie

A popular BBC kids show is being adapted into a film. Deadline reports Sir Phil Redmond and filmmaker Sara Sugarman are directing Grange Hill as a film based loosely on the character she played in the original show. Redmond is also the original series creator Redmond. Sean Marley and Celyn Jones are producing the project. Phil and Alexis Redmond will serve as executive producers.

Redmond initially planned on a film release for this year, but says a script is close to finished. Details about the storyline are being kept private at the time. Redmond told Deadline that part of the story will be based on the character Jessica Samuels – who was the rebellious head of the friend group in the show. Sugarman, who played Samuels as a child, spearheaded the project. She contacted Redmond with the offer to direct the project when she first heard about the reboot in the film version.

“Sara reached out, and that lit a light bulb in my head,” Redmond said. “I thought, ‘Why don’t I look beyond the main characters, which is obvious, and we’ll have them all there for nostalgia, but where did Jessica go?’.”

Redmond is grateful for Sugarman, describing her as a “great fit.” He said her character’s growth will be a central focus on the show. As of now, there’s no plan for Sugarman to star in the film and reprise her role….or is it? She told Deadline: “I’ve been very strongly given my orders: I have to audition like everyone else. So that’s where we are with that.”

Sugarman did hint that appearances from several original cast members of the show can be expected. The original featured actors such as Todd Carty, Sheila Chandra, and Sean Maguire.

Grange Hill is one of the BBC’s longest-running programs, ending in 2008 after 31 seasons. The show portrayed the life of kids attending school.