The Islington Green Schoolchildren who sang on the Pink Floyd hit “Another Brick in the Wall” and their teacher are to be the subjects of a new feature film.
Producer Andy Harries (pictured) (“The Queen,” “The Damned United”) is said to be working with writer Steve Thompson on the project for Left Bank and BBC Films.
The movie will tell the true story of Alan Renshaw who worked as a music teacher at the north London public school. When, under his tutelage, the kids provide the chorus for that somewhat rebellious Floyd hit — now that we think of it, the only lyrics in that song are the chorus! — Renshaw loses his job. (He had transported the kids to the band’s Britannia Row studios for the session without permission of head teacher Margaret Maden.)
One sticking point: Though the producer has secured the rights to Renshaw’s story, he hasn’t obtained the green light to use the song. With the children’s participation somewhat contentious — in 2004 a group of the now-grown kids with assistance from music royalties expert Peter Rowan sued claiming they hadn’t been properly compensated 30 years ago — that could be quite a stumbling block.
Our fingers are crossed for what could be a very interesting Floyd-related film.
