Frankie Goes To Hollywood biopic Relax in the works

The famous Liverpool band Frankie Goes to Hollywood are set to be the subject of a new biopic called ‘Relax’. The biopic’s name comes from the band’s most famous song. Released in 1983, Relax reached the top of the U.K. charts in January 1984, propelling the group to stardom.

The group are firmly on the music media radar this week having performed at the beginning of Eurovision. The performance in their home city was the group’s first together in 36 years.

It's Frankie Goes to Hollywood 🥂#Eurovision#Liverpool pic.twitter.com/6sm6EkWdi6

— Chris Shaw (@The_ChrisShaw) May 7, 2023

The group is composed of Holly Johnson, Brian Nash, Paul Rutherford, Mark O’Toole and Peter Gill. They broke up in 1988 due to the deterioration of the relationship between lead singer Johnson and the rest of the group.

Relax was originally banned by the BBC due to its lyrics about homosexuality and homosexual love. The BBC deemed the lyrics to be sexually provocative and inappropriate.

The song eventually went on to become the bands best-selling single, and the sixth best-selling single in U.K. charts history.

Callum Scott Howells is set to play the role of frontman Holly Johnson. The story is based on Johnson’s memoir, A Bone In My Flute.

Callum Scott Howells.

Howells is best known for his breakout performance in Russell T. Davies’ It’s a Sin, a drama miniseries set in the ‘80s and ‘90s about the AIDS epidemic. The award-winning show also starred Years & Years frontman Olly Alexander, and received great acclaim.

While details about the direction of the movie remain unknown, it is expected to explore the social and cultural significance of both the band and the song, as well as the inner dynamics of the band that would eventually lead to its breakup.

The movie is to be made by U.K. companies Working Title and Independent Entertainment, and has been written by Bernard Rose, who directed the band’s music video for Relax almost 40 years ago.