from GAT

“Wholly Delightful” – L Magazine

“A scissor-sharp comedy.” – Variety

As usual, the Brits did it first. Long before Ron Burgundy, Oscar® and Golden Globe nominee Steve Coogan (The Trip, Philomena) created the definitive self-absorbed broadcast journalist – a complex mess named Alan Partridge.

A beloved, nasty buffoon, Alan Partridge’s constantly self-destructing career has fascinated British comedy fans for 20 years, through two radio series, three television series and a hugely popular “web-com.”

Now the nasty, socially-awkward egotist is making the jump to a medium that suits his ego – the big screen. No stranger to feature films, Oscar®-nominee Coogan will introduce his signature character to the world when Alan Partridge makes its North American theatrical debut in Canada on March 7, 2014, from Video Services Corp (VSC) beginning with Toronto and Montreal, then rolling out to other cities across the country.

Alan Partridge (Coogan) has had many ups and downs in his life. He’s been a national television broadcaster (responsible for killing a guest on live TV). He suffered a nervous breakdown as a local radio broadcaster in Dundee. His self-published book, Bouncing Back, ended up remaindered and pulped.

And trouble once again finds Alan Partridge in Alan Partridge. Alan finds himself at the center of a siege when a disgruntled fellow DJ (Colm Meaney of Star Trek and Hell on Wheels) takes their station hostage after learning that he’s getting sacked by new management.

Coogan created Alan Partridge more than 20-years ago as a BBC sports reporter on the radio show, On The Hour. Since then, this wonderfully conceited, petty, anal, idiosyncratic comic creation has put Coogan on the map and flourished across every medium. He’s been a sports reporter (again) on the seminal TV news spoof, The Day Today, host of his own TV chat show, Knowing Me, Knowing You, star of the fly-on-the-wall sitcom I’m Alan Partridge, and, following a sabbatical of several years, Partridge returned in 2010 for Mid-Morning Matters, a webcom that showed Partridge in his element as host of the titular radio show.

With another series of Mid-Morning Matters due to come after Alan Partridge, it’s clear that Coogan still has enormous affection for Partridge and feels the well is far from dry. “In some ways, it’s the easiest acting job I do, because I’ve spent 20 years researching the character,” he says. “When I go into doing Alan it’s like putting on an old jacket. It’s very comfortable for me. I still think he’s funny. When I watch takes as Alan, I laugh. But I don’t feel I’m laughing at myself. I’m laughing at a character… that I happen to perform!”

Alan Partridge opened theatrically in the UK in August 2013 where it opened in first place at the box office. A US theatrical release is scheduled for April 2014.