TIFF 2010: Winterbottom, Coogan And Brydon Reunite For THE TRIP

Amongst the many titles announced for the Toronto International Film Festival today one jumped out as a true surprise: The Trip by Michael Winterbottom.

That Winterbottom has another film following so close on the heels of The Killer Inside Me is no big surprise. The man is nothing if not prolific, turning out films at a ferocious pace while jumping between genres. But this one wasn't even listed anywhere despite the presence of high profile stars Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon who last worked with Winterbottom on the fantastic Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story. Why not? Because, as it turns out, The Trip began life as a television series for BBC2, one I assume Winterbottom has now cut into a feature for international audiences.

The television version of The Trip is set to air in September, the series being a largely improvised sitcom in which Coogan plays a food critic for the UK's Observer who is joined on a working road trip by his friend (Brydon) who fills in at the last minute when Coogan's romantic relationship falls apart. Word is that Ben Stiller and other celebs will guest on the show though there's no word on which, if any of them, will make the feature cut.