Netflix to turn David Walliams's Bad Dad book into a film

Wednesday 9th September 2020, 5:27pm by Jay Richardson

Bad Dad, the 2017 novel by David Walliams, is being turned into a feature film
Paddington 2 writer Simon Farnaby is adapting the book to become a Netflix movie

Netflix is adapting David Walliams's bestselling children's book Bad Dad into a feature film.

British Comedy Guide has learned that Ghosts star and Paddington 2 writer Simon Farnaby is working on an adaptation of the story, published in 2017, about Frank and Gilbert, a father and son who take on crime boss Mr Big.

The book's blurb says the story is "a high-speed cops and robbers adventure with heart and soul about a father and son taking on the villainous Mr Big - and winning! This riches-to-rags story will have you on the edge of your seat and howling with laughter!"

The film is Walliams's first original commission from Netflix. The BBC has aired adaptations of several of his children's novels, such as The Boy In The Dress, Gangsta Granny and Grandpa's Great Escape, while Sky have filmed Ratburger.

Walliams's sketch series Little Britain and the mockumentary Come Fly With Me, both of which he wrote and starred in with Matt Lucas, were removed from Netflix in June because of their use of blackface and race-related comic elements.

It was also revealed today that Ricky Gervais is to make more shows for Netflix. Story

David Walliams - Bad Dad

David Walliams' riches-to-rags story will have you on the edge of your seat and howling with laughter!

Bad Dad is a fast and furious, heart-warming new children's book about a father and son on an adventure - and a thrilling mission to break an innocent man into prison... It's a high-speed cops-and-robbers adventure with heart and soul about a father and son taking on the villainous Mr Big - and winning!

Dads come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

There are fat ones and thin ones, tall ones and short ones.
There are young ones and old ones, clever ones and stupid ones.
There are silly ones and serious ones, loud ones and quiet ones.
Of course, there are good dads, and bad dads ...

First published: Thursday 2nd November 2017

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