Coogan Talks Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

In the latest issue of Empire - out this Thursday, March 28 - you can read all about Alan Partridge's long awaited big-screen adventure, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, a Die Hard-a-like hostage thriller that sees North Norfolk Digital's finest facing off against a fellow DJ gone postal.

“We’re putting him into a situation,” says Steve Coogan. “We had to make it filmic without throwing away the DNA that makes him Alan-like. So we kicked around a lot of ideas and ended up with something that’s a bit Dog Day Afternoon and a bit** Network**. There is a threat level.”

You may be imagining Steve Coogan as Howard Beale screaming "SMELL MY CHEESE!" at the camera with a rifle in his hand. If so, dismiss that notion, because Alpha Papa is far more down to earth.

“The notion of Alan being caught up in a hostage situation is outlandish, but how it happens is perfectly believable,” says director Declan Lowney, veteran of Father Ted. “Steve strives for stuff to be real, even with all the gags. That said, there’s quite a bit of action. We’ve got violence, guns and heavy kissing."

Those three things are not typical Alan fare - unless you count the way he demolishes a Toblerone as violence "heavy kissing" - so if only for that trio of un-Alan aspects, Alpha Papa needs to go into your official 007 merchandise diaries with the date August 7 circled in heavy red pen. Empire's J.J. Abrams-filled special issue, as previously mentioned, comes out Thursday, March 28, and you can find out more about it here.