Before there was Susan Boyle, there was Paul Potts... 2007's Britains Got Talent reality show winner who became an overnight sensation and best selling tenor (3 million copies of his first album sold in less than year) after previously spending years as a mobile phone salesman in the Carphone Warehouse! Simon Cowell and Paramount had been trying to bring Potts' 'riveting' life story to the big screen since early 08 but for unnamed reasons they let the rights expire. Up stepped new producers Brad Weston and and Mike Menchel who have today secured David Frankel (The Devil Wears Prada, Marley & Me) to direct a heartwarming comedy/biopic of Potts titled One Chance. The movie will follow;
"Potts from his origins as a chubby child to awkward portly adult with a passion for opera, and the various mishaps along the way that kept his spectacular voice a secret until he unveiled it one night before most of the United Kingdom.
Justin Zackham (The Bucket List) has wrote the screenplay, which doesn't bode well for this biopic being anything but obvious, sickly sentimental and one-note. Cowell, who has given the new project his blessing previously told Deadline that it was Potts' first audition day that was the catalyst for wanting this film to be made;
"That particular day was one of the worst, the acts were just terrible, we were fed up and on comes this guy with a funny little suit and bad teeth who looked very nervous. I can remember looking at the other judges, with that 'here we go again' feeling. We had 2000 people in the audience, and I'll never forget how much the room changed when he began singing."
Production start of April is planned if a financial backer can be found. An unknown is expected to play Potts and we wonder if Cowell, Piers Morgan and others might turn up to portray themselves.