Gervais and Merchant to write 1970s comedy film

Ricky Gervais has announced that he and Extras co-writer Stephen Merchant are to write a new British comedy film together. However, the movie is not expected to be out until 2010.

Gervais said: "We are going to do a film next. It's going to be about a group of 20-somethings - in about 1970 - in a small town where the sexual revolution never hit. They're going to get married and live next door to their mums – basically it is whether they do or whether they escape."

Merchant and Gervais had previously worked on this idea as a sitcom, however it seems they have now decided to turn the project into a film instead. Their sitcom had the title The Men At The Pru. Gervais has previously described it as "being set in the Seventies in a provincial backwater - maybe Margate or somewhere equally removed from London's burgeoning permissive society - where a group of twenty and thirtysomething wasters measure out their lives in beer mats and Sunday league fixture lists."

The Extras Christmas special is on BBC1 on Thursday 27th December. The episode has already aired on HBO in America to good reviews (RickyGervais.com has links to various articles).

The final 80 minute special, which features a number of star cameos including George Michael, Clive Owen and David Tennant, focuses on the life of Andy Millman since he has become a big star. He has a hit TV show, a more efficient agent and a new house overlooking Hampstead Heath. But he feels that something is missing. Meanwhile, his best friend Maggie has been forced to move into an even smaller flat and is doing cleaning jobs to make ends meet. Sadly, Andy hasn't even noticed.

A press photo released today shows Andy Millman (Gervais) having to play an alien slug in Doctor Who after his agent (Merchant) can only come up with roles in Doctor Who and Hotel Babylon. Millman sacks Darren his agent after he meets a humiliating end when the Doctor, played by David Tennant, showers him with salt.