Released in 1997, Peter Cataneo’s Entire Monty tells the story of six men who decide to become strippers – but it’s about so much more.
The film, set in Sheffield during the 1990s, was praised for its exploration of a number of social issues, including depression, body image and unemployment.
On Wednesday, June 14, the next series will hit Disney+ in the UK (and Hulu in the US). Set 25 years after the original film, Entire Monty (2023) sees characters contending with an England that has changed dramatically over the years.
Several of the show’s stars have spoken out about what fans can expect from the series’ exploration of the series’ conservative austerity policy.
When asked if the political thrust of the original film would be retained for a sequel, star Robert Carlyle said: “Sure. In that respect, it’s exactly the same. And congratulations to Disney for going with that. You cannot separate politics from Entire Monty. It is not possible.”
He continued: “These men, 25 years on, have lived through what everyone in this country has gone through, 25 years, nearly enough, asceticism. Their whole person has been chipped, the entire infrastructure of the country has been chipped. And that’s for sure.”
The first episode of the series is titled “Level Up”, a reference to the policy of that name first laid out in the 2019 Conservative Party manifesto. The policy is ostensibly aimed at reducing inequality. economy between different regions of the UK.
Robert Carlyle in ‘The Full Monty’
(Disney)
However, in Entire MontyThe devastating effects of prolonged austerity were under the microscope, and visions of Sheffield today are no longer rosy.
The working men’s club featured in the original film was on the board. In a review of the series for walkie talkieMichael Hogan wrote: “The unexpected box office success has always been politically charged, tracing the consequences of Sheffield’s de-industrialisation, and this eight-part sequel is also heavily political.
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“The problems will be too obvious, especially for those in neglected communities. If the optimism of the original, written at the end of John Major’s Conservative government, and released during Blair’s Labour, has disappeared, that’s the point: it’s a stark reminder wondering how far we’ve come. Not yet arrive.”
Entire Monty will premiere on Disney+ on Wednesday, June 14.
