THE SPICE GIRLS made their return to the stage in 2019 and now they are eyeing up a comeback on the big screen too, with a sequel to their 1997 hit movie Spice World.
I am told the group have approached a renowned screenwriter about coming up with a script for a follow-up flick ahead of its 25th anniversary next year.
The project is being plotted by Ginger Spice Geri Horner, who is managing the group.
Melanie C, Emma Bunton and Mel B are tentatively on board and hoping the project could tempt back reluctant former bandmate Victoria Beckham.
Posh Spice has insisted she will not be part of their next tour, which they had planned for this year, but they are hoping the script could persuade her to finally return for the movie.
The four bandmates last reunited in 2019, for a 13-date sellout stadium tour across the UK and Ireland.
A film industry source said: “The girls have been talking about how to mark the film’s anniversary and are actively considering making a tongue-in-cheek sequel.
“They have approached a screenwriter who is considering working on the project and making tentative steps forward.
“It is still in the early stages but they are talking to established names in the business, which proves they are taking a big screen comeback seriously.”
Representatives for the group declined to comment.
The original film starred the band as well as Richard E. Grant, Meat Loaf, Sir Elton John and several other stars.
It made more than £70million, to become the highest-grossing movie of all time by a musical group, despite being met with negative reviews.
Another film based on the Nineties group was announced by Paramount in 2019, which will feature the voices of all five girls as animated superheroes.
It had been scheduled for release in 2020 but progress is believed to have stalled.
The girls reunited with their former manager Simon Fuller for their most recent comeback tour but they have since parted ways again.
Sporty Spice Mel C said in December: “Geri is pretty much managing us right now. The thing is, we’re pretty much unmanageable.”
The British group sold more than 90million records worldwide and scored nine UK No1 singles.
Victoria insisted she wanted to focus on her family and fashion business rather than return to the group.
She said: “It took me a lot of courage not to go on tour with the Spice Girls again, but to be the one who says, ‘You know, I’m not doing it because things feel different now than they used to’.
“I’d rather concentrate on my family and my company.”
Given 2022 will also mark ten years since they last performed together at the Olympic Closing Ceremony in London, it’s about time she brought back Posh Spice.
Weeknd is still wild
THE WEEKND has doubled down on his claim the Grammys are “corrupt” after not being nominated for last month’s awards.
The Recording Academy said on Friday it was binning the “secret” committees that review nominations and are believed to have shut out the Canadian, who had last year’s biggest single with Blinding Lights and a No1 album in After Hours.
But the singer said yesterday: “The trust has been broken for so long between the Grammy organisation and artists it would be unwise to raise a victory flag.
“The industry and public alike need to see a transparent system truly at play for the win to be celebrated, but it’s an important start.
“I remain uninterested in being a part of the Grammys, especially with their own admission of corruption for all these decades. I will not be submitting in the future.”
When there’s a Will, Elton
WILL SMITH said he was in the “worst shape of my life” after posting this photo of his dad bod yesterday – but a surprise contender could soon have abs to rival those that the Fresh Prince used to flash.
Unlikely fitness fanatic Sir Elton John has got into exercise over the past year and claims walking around in his swimming pool is his miracle way to shift the pounds.
He said: “During lockdown I have really gotten fit. I walk in the pool, I play tennis. I just wanted to come out the other side not overweight and when I go back on tour I am going to be the fittest I have ever been.
“Because a lot of my shame comes from the way I have put on weight and stuff like that. It’s been with me all my life. I go up and down like a bloody yo-yo.
“But I have really concentrated on that during lockdown.”
The Rocket Man singer says he has to watch what he eats, but added: “I am probably the fittest I have been in a long, long time and I feel great.”
Elton told Sun columnist and Watford striker Troy Deeney on his podcast Deeney Talks: “There is no point moaning about being overweight.
“ You have to do something about it and sit down with the doctor or a nutritionist and say, ‘How do I approach this? How do I do it?’.
“I have had a lot of help with that in the recent months and I have really put the pedal to the metal.
“I walk in the swimming pool and I have done 42 miles since the beginning of the year, sideways.
“It comes down to, ‘What do you want for the rest of your life?’. I have two kids I want to see and be around as much as possible.”
Jack too cheeky
JACK WHITEHALL always causes mischief when he hosts the Brit Awards, but it’s not a new thing.
The funnyman, who will be back in charge of the ceremony for the fourth time a week today, says he got into trouble a lot at school because he would strip off.
Jack told former rugby ace James Haskell on his What A Flanker podcast: “I broke quite a lot of rules when I was in school and got in trouble for quite weird stuff.
“There was one art project, we were filming a video and I ended up naked in a field and the headmaster’s wife saw me.
“I got in quite a lot of trouble for that because I guess she didn’t know we were filming an art project, I was just exposing myself to her.”
Barlow: Band is for life
THEY aren’t doing much at the moment but fear not, Take That fans – Gary Barlow has insisted the band will never split up.
Gary says he wants Howard Donald and Mark Owen in his life for good after 32 years – and counting – as a group.
He said: “The one thing I’ve learned after all these years is that most bands are unhappy.
“If there’s one thing I can be thankful for (it’s that) on the whole, we’re such a happy group of guys.
“I don’t know whether we’ve just got really lucky or we’ve grown into the shoes we now wear, or we put our efforts somewhere else. But when we’re together, we love a lot.
“It must have been years ago when we had any kind of fallout. Just good guys, nice people to be around.
“We’ve lasted this long and it’s a good sign.”
Gary told Matt Goss on his Conversations podcast: “It’s like, ‘If all else fails, go back to the band’.
“Because it’s a happy place, everyone loves it. That’s my experience of being in the band and why I hope it’s always going to be in my life.
“We love it, we all started together in 1989 and here we are, still doing it. And it’s a great place to be.”
Top clip ‘The Knife’
IF I have one recommendation for you today, it’s that you check out Lauren Aquilina’s brilliant new video for her single The Knife.
Little Mix’s Jade Thirlwall is a fan of the edgy pop song – all about being stabbed in the back – and the creepy video shot at a house in London will win over more fans.
The Bristol-born singer-songwriter is carving out quite the career.
Last year she spent time in LA, which resulted in her writing three tunes for Demi Lovato’s recent album Dancing With The Devil . . . The Art of Starting Over.
Having also written for Kylie Minogue and Louise Redknapp, she’s definitely set for stardom.
Katy a real bell ringer
YOU might have to have a good old Tink to work out who is underneath this fairy costume.
She looks almost unrecognisable, but it is Katy Perry dressed up as Tinker Bell from Peter Pan.
The gorgeous singer slipped into the outfit for American Idol’s Disney themed night on Sunday.
Katy, a show judge, complete with blue wings, topped off the costume with a wand.
She also lightened her eyebrows for the day and wore green make-up.
A sprinkling of Tinker Bell’s fairy dust could have made that whole experience a lot easier.
It also emerged that Coldplay singer Chris Martin will be on hand next weekend to mentor some of the contestants, when he will also perform his band’s new single Higher Power, which is out on Friday.
Bizbit
DUA LIPA was the big winner at the Global Awards but no ceremony went ahead for the annual bash.
Instead, the Levitating singer was named Best British Act, Best Female and Most Played Song of 2020 for Don’t Start Now in a annoucement on radio stations including Capital yesterday.
Harry Styles won Best Male, while Joel Corry picked up the Rising Star gong.
