Take That could be heading to Clitheroe as filming begins on new movie based on their biggest hits

"Greatest Day' writer Tim Firth said today he hoped that band members Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen, who are executive producers, may be heading for the Ribble Valley when shooting starts in two weeks.

"It would be nice if they could come over but I can't say yet, we will have to wait and see," said Tim.

BAFTA award winning actress Aisling Bea is to head the cast of the film which will be shot at various locations in Clitheroe and the surrounding countryside from April 4th to 13th.

It will include a big song and dance number at Clitheroe Castle, followed by shoots in London and Athens.

Tim, whose film credits include Blackball (2002), Calendar Girls (2002, which won a British Comedy Award) and Kinky Boots (2004, Best International Film, Florida Film Festival), and The Wedding Video (2014) said Clitheroe was the perfect setting for the 'feelgood' film that he described as 'typically British.'

And while he did not have any particular setting in mind when he worked on the script he wasn't surprised when location scouts came up with Clitheroe.

Tim said: "They said 'we have found this beautiful town, are you aware of it?' And I had to smile because, of course, I know Clitheroe, I came to this area many times as a child.

"The film will show not just the beauty of Clitheroe but what a wonderful community it has, a place with real heart and a northern vibe and the world is going to see that.

"It had to be a northern town and the film will show how stunning parts of the North are."

Frodsham born Tim has fond memories of childhood holidays with his family in the Yorkshire village of Burnsall, 22 miles away from Clitheroe.

He said: "We often came over to Lancashire and I have good memories of playing on the land between Lancashire and Yorkshire and also climbing Pendle Hill."

The film is based on Tim's stage musical, The Band, about a group of women who reunite after 25 years to see their favourite band.

Its film adaptation follows the success of musical movies like Mamma Mia and will feature 16 of Take That’s greatest hits, including Greatest Day, Patience, Back for Good, A Million Love Songs and Shine.

'Greatest Days', described as ‘a feelgood universal story of love and friendship’, will introduce five schoolgirls who live in Clitheroe and have the night of their lives at a concert featuring their favourite boyband.

Twenty-five years later their lives have changed in a myriad of ways, as they reunite to reminisce about their past, and discover their future.

Tim added:”The film is about how important and significant the music they share a love of is to them.”

The film will be directed by multi-BAFTA-winning Coky Giedroyc and the producers are Danny Perkins, Kate Solomon and Jane Hooks.

Danny said: “Greatest Days is a film about people coming together, with nostalgia, friendship and joy the beating heart of this universal story."