The Full Monty Cast Pickets Sheffield Premiere of Disney+ Reboot Amid US Writers' Strike
The stars of The Full Monty returned to Sheffield for the premiere of a new Disney+ series that brings together the beloved characters from the popular 1997 film. Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, and Lesley Sharp attended the event in the city where both the film and the show are set.
However, the show's creator, Simon Beaufoy, and co-writer Alice Nutter chose not to attend due to their participation in the ongoing US writers' strike. Instead, they took part in a picket outside the cinema, holding up placards to make their stance known.
Beaufoy, the original Oscar-winning writer of The Full Monty, carried a sign that read: "The Full Monty - about people, for people, by people. No AI." Nutter's message referred to the premiere, stating, "We love this show but we can't go - fair deal for writers." Both Beaufoy and Nutter are members of the Writers Guild of America, which has instructed its members not to work for US companies during the strike, citing inadequate compensation for writers in the era of streaming.
In a statement issued prior to the premiere, Beaufoy and Nutter expressed their reasons for abstaining, saying, "We worked on The Full Monty TV series for over three years. We love this show, we put our hearts and souls into it, and would like to be at the premiere - but as WGA writers, we won't be taking part in promotion until the strike is over. The ongoing strike and struggle to get a fair deal for writers is too important to us."
The new eight-part series catches up with the characters of The Full Monty 26 years after the events of the film, where a group of unemployed men turned to stripping. The Telegraph, in a three-star review, commented that the new version "firmly wears its politics on its sleeve - with mixed success." Critic Michael Hogan noted that the issues addressed in the show would be relatable, especially to those in neglected communities. He observed that while the original's optimism may have diminished, it serves as a sobering reminder of how far progress has been lacking. The striptease element, he added, "makes a half-hearted reprise" but is no longer the central driving force of the narrative.
Notably absent from the premiere was Hugo Speer, who portrayed the character Guy but was dismissed during filming following an investigation by Disney+ into allegations of inappropriate behavior on set. Speer, in an interview with the Daily Mail, expressed his shock at the accusations, stating, "I'm not going to start turning into a flasher after all these years in the business. I was so shocked to be told I'd made members of the crew feel 'uncomfortable'."
