Gritty rites-of-passage tale Clubbed is to begin shooting this week at east London's Three Mills Studio and on location in the West Midlands, with a scheduled release date of early 2008.

The script was written by BAFTA-winning writer Geoff Thompson, adapted from his best-selling autobiography Watch My Back. It follows factory worker Danny, who becomes involved in the violent 'rude-boy' subculture of 1980's Coventry when he meets a group of doormen who work clubs playing Northern Soul and ska music.

Thompson, who is also a martial-arts instructor, will be on-set as both creative consultant and fight co-ordinator. Clubbed is directed by Neil Thompson and produced by Martin Carr. Executive producer Paul Abbott (Shameless) will also act as script consultant with Jim Cartwright (Little Voice). Reflecting the spirit of the era is the soundtrack and a score by M-People's Paul Heard.

The cast includes Colin Salmon (Tomorrow Never Dies), Shaun Parkes (Notes On A Scandal), Maxine Peake (Shameless), Mel Raido (Midsomer Murders), Scot Williams (Cape Wrath), Ronnie Fox (Nil By Mouth) and Neil Morrissey (Men Behaving Badly), with Nikki Sanderson (Coronation Street) making her feature film debut.

Clubbed was funded through the EIS scheme with support from Screen West Midlands.

Producer Martin Carr said: 'With an already proven international following at the heart of our film and interest established across nine territories, Clubbed already has a great promotional platform for theatrical success.'

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