EastEnders’ Danny Dyer to ‘reprise an iconic role’ year after leaving BBC soap
Danny Dyer is reportedly set to reprise his role of hooligan Tommy Johnson in a sequel to iconic film The Football Factory.
The former EastEnders actor, perhaps best known for playing Mick Carter in the BBC soap from 2013 until last year, “can’t wait” to start filming the follow-up to the 2004 movie about a violent firm of Chelsea FC supporters, it has been reported.
A source claimed filming for the sequel would begin early next year – the 20th anniversary of the original’s release – adding that it was a “passion project” for Danny, 46. It was also reported that the follow-up would be called Marching Powder, which is a slang name for cocaine.
A source told The Sun: “It’s full steam ahead for Football Factory 2 and filming is due to start in January. The hope is they can turn it around quickly enough so it comes out in 2024 – in time for the 20th anniversary."
They added: “The script for Marching Powder will reveal what happened to the rival factions of hooligans after the end of the last film. It’s a real passion project for Danny who can’t wait to get his teeth back into the role.”
OK! has contacted Danny’s reps for comment.
In The Football Factory, Danny played Tommy, a disillusioned 29 year old who lives for the weekend football matches. A member of the Chelsea firm, his life revolves around booze, drugs and violence but the build-up to a derby against Millwall causes his mental-health to deteriorate as he tries to escape from his dangerous surroundings.
The film – loosely based on the novel by John King – received negative reviews from critics at the time but went on to become a cult classic. The sequel’s reported working title of Marching Powder is said to be a nod to the prolific cocaine use in the movie.
Danny, who rose to fame in 1999 clubbing film Human Traffic, became a fan favourite on EastEnders as he played Mick alongside on-screen wife Linda, played by Kellie Bright. The pair later split and he married villainous Janine Butcher – played by Charlie Brooks – but returned to Linda after unearthing her lies.
But Danny left the BBC soap last Christmas in scenes that left viewers wondering if he was dead or alive. After Janine drove his ex Linda into the sea in a car, Mick went in to save her but seemingly got into difficulty. He is now presumed dead and lost at sea, but no body has been found.
Danny has gone on to star in Channel 5 drama Heat and now hosts the Sorted with the Dyers podcast with daughter and former Love Island winner Dani.
Earlier this year, Danny admitted he found his EastEnders exit storyline "odd" after asking bosses to kill off his character. Speaking to The Times, the actor explained how he would have liked his character to bow out of the soap and why bosses were against it.
Danny said: "I felt that to go on a journey with Mick, who doesn’t open up properly to anyone, and feels shame and all that stuff, to have it end tragically, that would have opened debate and got the nation talking."
Mick had battled depression and contemplated taking his own life two years earlier on the soap after it emerged he had been sexually abused as a child. Danny wanted to explore a mental health storyline to encourage men to speak out and wanted Mick to take his own life.
Show bosses reportedly thought the storyline would "trigger" viewers and instead chose a dramatic showdown to see the character bow out.
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