Pistol, Danny Boyle's Sex Pistols Limited Series, Finally Has A Premiere Date
After bringing a fourth-wall-breaking, cowboy hat-wearing Brendan Fraser to FX in "Trust," Danny Boyle is returning to the network with a new project. The acclaimed filmmaker behind "Trainspotting," "28 Days Later," and "Slumdog Millionaire" is executive producing and directing a six-part limited series about the iconic punk band the Sex Pistols titled "Pistol." Now, after announcing principal photography a year ago, it looks like we finally know when to tune in. According to Variety, the show based on the 2017 memoir "Lonely Boy: Tales From A Sex Pistol" by guitarist Steve Jones will premiere on Hulu on May 31, 2022.
Anarchy in the U.K.
"Pistol" is set to give fans a fascinating new perspective on the punk rock pioneers and their rise to prominence. The synopsis tells us that we'll follow along on the band's journey from
"West London's council estates, to Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren's notorious Kings Road SEX shop, to the international controversy that came with the release of 'Never Mind the Bollocks,' which is frequently listed as one of the most influential albums of all time."
The drama stars Toby Wallace ("Babyteeth," "Acute Misfortune") as Steve Jones, Anson Boon ("Crawl," "1917," "Blackbird") as Johnny Rotten, Louis Partridge ("Enola Homes") as Sid Vicious, and newcomer Jacob Slater as Paul Cook. In addition to the headliners in the band, the show features a number of notable historical figures like "Game of Thrones" star Maisie Williams as Pamela Rooke aka prolific punk model Jordan, Talulah Riley of "The Boat The Rocked" and "Inception" as influential designer Vivienne Westwood, and Emma Appleton from "The Witcher" as Vicious' legendary girlfriend Nancy Spungen.
However, the show almost didn't come together as intended. Like Pamela Anderson distancing herself from the recent Hulu hit "Pam & Tommy," Sex Pistols frontman Rotten (whose real name is John Lydon) did not want to be associated with this "disrespectful" project. He filed a lawsuit against his former bandmates in order to stop their music from being used in Boyle's series. However, after a week-long hearing in the summer of 2021, a judge ruled in favor of Jones, Cook, and the estate of Sid Vicious due to the terms of a 1998 band member agreement that said that matters regarding licensing requests would be determined by majority rules. With this decision, Boyle and "Pistol" were free to use the music of the Sex Pistols as needed.
Though that lawsuit likely won't be a part of the story, you can still watch all six episodes of "Pistol" when they drop on the FX portal on Hulu on May 31, 2022.