England’s most notorious football manager Mike Bassett is heading back to the big screens with a sequel to the cult classic comedy planned for production later this year.

Director/Producer Steve Barron will return for the sequel, titled, Mike Bassett: Interim Manager, with Ricky Tomlinson as the foul-mouthed Bassett. This time Bassett is brought in to the England camp as number two to the tactically brilliant German coach Jorgen Mannstein who has the England team playing like a dream. Not for long!

Steve Barron said: “Bassett was the last England manager to take the national team to Brazil. We reached the semi’s then, who knows what we could achieve this time? I’m very excited to be back with the team including football legend Andy Ansah who cut his teeth on the first film. As the years have gone by Bassett seems to have dug deeper into football folklore. There is hardly a manager in the game that hasn’t been compared to him. Usually at a low point. Sometimes a very low point.”

The movies development at London-based Riley Productions has been funded again through the BFI. Newly launched Goldfinch Pictures, headed by Harrigan producer Kirsty Bell, has been appointed to raise £2.5m from EIS investors to help fund the film. The original Mike Bassett was the highest grossing film at the UK box office, grossing £3.5m, in it’s original 2001 year of release.

Mike Bassett: Interim Manager sees the return of writing duet Rob Sprackling and John R Smith, who penned the first film and also co-wrote Disney blockbuster Gnomeo and Juliet.