UK cult legend Frank Sidebottom performing with ‘Little Frank’

Busy actor Michael Fassbender (X-Men:First Class, Prometheus, and soon to be released 12 Years A Slave), plays UK cult icon Frank Sidebottom in the Element Pictures, Film 4, Indie Production of Frank.

First still of Maggie Gyllenhaal, Frank Sidebottom (Michael Fassbender), and Domhnall Gleeson in ‘Frank’.

Domhnall Gleeson (Anna Karenina, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2), plays Jon, a young musician needing a break, who joins an eccentric pop band led by the enigmatic Frank Sidebottom, played by Michael Fassbender. It doesn’t take long for him to realize he has gotten in over his head. Maggie Gyllenhaal (Crazy Heart, The Dark Knight), and Scott McNary (Argo), also star.

Chris Sievey and his alter-ego Frank Sidebottom.

Frank Sidebottom is the alter-ego of legendary Manchester comedian, musician (leader of the punk band ‘The Freshies’), television and radio personality Chris Sievey, who died suddenly of cancer in 2010.Frank is being called a comedy/drama/mystery, and is loosely based on, and inspired by, the life of Chris Sievey. It isn’t a biopic or documentary.

The Frank Sidebottom character, who always performed wearing a large paper-mache head, was always cheerfully optimistic, enthusiastic, and unaware of his short-comings. His music consisted mainly of popular song parodies, re-written to reflect Frank’s life of living at home with his Mom in the Manchester suburb of Timperley. He is often accompanied by a hand-puppet named “Little Frank.”

Dublin director Lenny Abrahamson (Adam & Paul) is at the helm. Jon Ronson (Men Who Stare At Goats) and Peter Straughan (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) wrote the script.

Frank is expected to premiere in late 2013.