Take That's musical movie Greatest Days has arrived in cinemas
Could this be the Greatest Day of our lives?
Take That's musical film Greatest Days has finally arrived! The film is loosely based on Take That's jukebox musical The Band and finally after months of teasing, fans can watch it on the big screen, in cinemas across the country.
The band shared their excitement at the release of the new film by taking to Instagram, posting a series of photos writing: 'The #GreatestDays premiere was an incredible day that will stay with us for a very long time... And the film and the soundtrack are now officially out! Head out to your local cinema and listen to the songs at the link our bio.
'Special thanks to everyone who made it possible - the whole @greatestdaysmovie cast and crew, @pandocruises for their support and of course all the fans who were with us at Leicester Square and in cinemas across the country 💙'.
The band shared the trailer to their YouTube page back on 20th April, with a description which read: 'You are invited to a reunion you'll never forget 💙', before confirming the release date of 16th June 2023.
WATCH: Take That's movie musical Greatest Days official trailer
Throughout the trailer, starring actress Aisling Bea can be seen, playing her character Rachel, along with her co-stars Aaron Bryan, Dalvin Cory, Joshua Jung, Mark Samaras and Mervin Noronha.
Upon the release of the heartwarming trailer, Take That took to their socials to share the love, saying in a video: "Hello everyone! We are very happy to announce that we are coming to you for the first look at our official trailer for the movie, Greatest Days. Yes, the film will be hitting cinemas in the UK and the Republic of Ireland on 16th June.
"We cannot wait for you to see it on the big screen, so give the trailer a watch right now and follow greatest days social media for all the latest upcoming and exciting news. See you out there!"
At the moment, a tour of the musical Greatest Days is on its way round the UK, with Kym Marsh and her daughter Emilie Cunliffe taking on different versions of the same character! Here's everything we know so far about the film...
When was Take That's Greatest Day film released?
Take That's Greatest Day film was released on 16th June 2023 in UK & ROI cinemas, with nationwide live premiere event previews on 15th June.
After beginning rehearsals in 2022, further casting was revealed in June 2022 - which was great news for fans after the film was initially thought to be released in 2021!
Who's in the cast?
Aisling Bea, known for This Way Up, will play a character called Rachel, with the band being played by Aaron Bryan, Dalvin Cory, Joshua Jung, Mark Samaras and Mervin Noronha. Strictly Come Dancing's Jayde Adams is also part of the film, and Rachel's mother will be played by Hannah James-Scott - sister of Hollywood star Andrew Scott.
Previously announced for the film was Ruth Wilson, Cush Jumbo and Rosamund Pike. Ruth is known for her role in the recent adaptation of His Dark Materials, as well as starring in The Affair, Mrs Wilson and Luther. Cush has starred in Deadwater Fell and The Good Wife, whilst Rosamund is best known for her role in Gone Girl.
Other cast members include Alice Lowe, Amaka Okafor, Marc Wootton, Lara McDonnell, Jessie Mae Alonzo, Nandi Hudson, Carragon Guest and Eliza Dobson.
Directing the film will be How To Build A Girl's Coky Giedroyc, with Calendar Girls' Tim Firth signing on as writer. Take That will executive produce alongside David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers.
What is the Take That's film about?
According to Deadline, the film will be "a feel-good universal story of love and friendship", and will follow the lives of five schoolgirls who have the best night ever at a concert of their favourite boyband.
They add: "25 years later, their lives have changed in a myriad of ways as they reunite to reminisce about their past and discover their future."
This sounds similar to the official synopsis for the original musical The Band: "What is it like to grow up with a boyband? For five 16-year-old friends in 1992, ‘the band’ is everything. Twenty-five years on we are reunited with the group of friends, now 40-something women, as they try once more to fulfil their dream of meeting their heroes."
Speaking about what people can expect from the film, Aisling Bea told us: "I think that especially post-pandemic, you know, kind of like by week four when we'd all run out of bananas to make bread with we were like, 'Right, I'll Google every single person I went to secondary school with.
"That feeling of introspection, and where did everyone end up? And to look back on yourself and your friends with a little bit more kindness and a bit more adult perspective can be quite emotional.
"And to kind of go, 'God, we knew each other so well. But did we actually really know each other at all?' When you re-meet up with friends that you were so close with, how do you click back in?
"The reunion is not just that they go to a reunion of a band, it's a reunion of their friendship and everything that's happened."
Official movie poster
Upon the release of the incredible trailer for the movie, the official film poster was also revealed, showing the starring cast and cinema release date.
Which songs will be in Take That's film?
Deadline has reported that the film will feature some of Take That's biggest songs, like 'A Million Love Songs', 'Relight My Fire', 'Could It Be Magic', 'Back For Good' and 'Patience' - and it's also though that they'll write an original song for the film.
Of course, as heard in the official trailer, their smash hit 'Greatest Day' will also feature.
Take That's musical film: The backstory
Take That have not one, but two musicals based on their music! Although 'Never Forget' was quite successful in 2008, the boys decided to create another one entitled 'The Band', which debuted in Manchester in September 2017 and had a stint in the West End before heading to Germany.
The cast for the show were discovered through TV talent show Let It Shine, as Five to Five won the roles and went on tour with the show.
What have Take That said about Greatest Days?
Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen released a statement about the film in 2020, saying: "Greatest Days is a film dedicated to all those who have supported us throughout the years. It puts a mirror on our audience – it's a celebration of our music but it's literally all about the fans and their friendships.
"Our fans have been on a 30-year journey with us and we have an incredibly strong bond with them, so seeing that they will be represented on screen by such a strong, talented cast is incredibly exciting."
What does Mark Owen think about the film?
Speaking to Guilty Pleasures at cinch does Isle of Wight festival, Mark said of Greatest Days: "It was exciting for us to be in Cannes to promote the film. It just looked really colourful and bright. We’re just proud that our songs are in it. But I do think it will be special."
When was Take That's film musical first announced?
In March 2018, Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald appeared on Lorraine where they confirmed that a Take That film is in the works! The film was rumoured to start shooting in 2019, and was going to be based on their musical.
Gary said: "Yes, it's happening. The script is being written by Tim Firth, who did the musical, and it will be shooting next year. Think they're getting Brad Pitt to play me," he joked.
Scroll through to see Take That's biggest career moments through the years:
1989
Starting with a line-up of five young men, Take That consisted of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Mark Owen, Jason Orange and Robbie Williams, with the original (short lived) name of Kick It.
1991
Take That's original line-up of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Mark Owen, Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Thankfully they changed their name and after a few unsuccessful songs in the early 90s Take That's breakthrough hit 'It Only Takes A Minute' was released. The song was a cover of a 1975 song by Taveres and reached number 7 in the charts.
1992
In 1992 Take That had hits with 'A Million Love Songs' and 'Could It Be Magic'. The boys' follow-up single 'Could It Be Magic' quickly propelled them to super-stardom with a string of number 1s not far away.
1993
Take That had huge success in 1993 with 'Pray', 'Relight My Fire' (featuring Lulu) and 'Babe'.
1994
The band's success continued in 1994 with 'Everything Changes' and 'Sure'. Here they are performing at The BRITs 1994.
1995
However, in July 1995 after countless hits, fans heard the devastating news; Robbie Williams would be leaving the band following friction with other band members. Robbie later admitted in a TV documentary in 2005, that he did some "stupid stuff" after parting ways with the band over 20 years ago, but said he didn't regret it because he was young.
1995
The remaining members of Take That continued to perform as a quartet.
1996
Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Mark Owen and Jason Orange performed at The BRITs in 1996. The remaining group of four continued to tour and release songs for another year, releasing 'Never Forget' and the Bee Gees cover 'How Deep Is Your Love', finally announcing they would be disbanding in February 1996. 'How Deep Is Your Love' became the band's final number 1 before they reformed 10 years later.
Late 90's
During the late 90s three of the band members, Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams, enjoyed solo singing careers with varying degrees of success. Jason Orange went into acting and Howard Donald, despite being the lead singer on a number of Take That songs, made a name for himself as a club DJ across Europe.
2005
Skip nearly a decade and ITV reunited the group for a documentary called Take That: For the Record in which the former members of the boyband were interviewed, discussing how they were discovered and looking back at their experiences in the band.
2005
Following the successful reception of the documentary by fans and the press, the decision was made to reunite with the 'post Robbie' line-up and a 2006 tour titled the 'The Ultimate Tour' was announced. After a break of nearly 10 years, Take That members Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Mark Owen and Jason Orange reformed in 2005.
2006
Take That performed on The X Factor in 2006. In 2006 they had a Number 1 single with 'Patience'. Gone were the cheesy pop tunes of the 90s, Take That had grown up with their fans and the men, now in their 30s revealed a much more mature sound, with their 2006 comeback single 'Patience'. The song quickly hit the top spot in the UK and around Europe becoming the eighth best-selling single of 2006 spending a massive 11 weeks in the top 10.
2007
In 2007 Take That embarked on their 'Beautiful World' tour. Since their reunion as a four-piece, it was clear that they hadn't lost the momentum they had in the 90s with another string of hits including 'Shine', 'Rule the World' and 'Greatest Day'.
2009
After the release of fifth album 'The Circus' in December 2008, the boys headed out on their 'Take That Present: The Circus Live' tour to promote it - and what a spectacle it was! Tickets to the entire tour sold it in less than five hours, making it the fastest-selling tour in UK history.
2010
Robbie Williams made an unexpected return to the group in 2010, joining forces with Gary Barlow - the first time since 1995 - writing a song that would feature on both Take That and Robbie's albums. Then, later that year, the news that all Take That fans had been waiting for was confirmed, the original line-up would be reforming for the wildly successful album, 'Progress' and its live tour. Their lead single 'The Flood' was released and peaked at number 2 featuring both Gary and Robbie as lead vocals.
2011
Following the band's 'Progress Live' tour in 2011 they then decided to take a break.
2014
A couple of years later Take That reformed as a group to record their seventh studio album, but it was short-lived, in 2014 both Robbie and Jason decided to leave. Robbie had recently become a dad for the second time and saying he would find it difficult "logistically". The band continued as a trio made up of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen.
2017
Take That returned earlier this year with their new album 'Wonderland' and their single 'Giants' which peaked at number 13. 'Giants' was written by the remaining three members of Take That along with some co-writers and the lyric video can be seen below.
2019
After celebrating Take That's 30th anniversary in 2019, the band put out a Greatest Hits album called 'Odyssey', which featured song "re-imagined with new arrangements and production". It debuted at Number 1, and the group embarked on a huge UK tour in 2019.
May 2020
Take That reunited with former member Robbie Williams for a very special performance in May 2020 during the lockdown amid the global pandemic of Coronavirus, performing a 40-minute set.
June 2020
The band's musical film Greatest Day was confirmed in June 2020! Although it had been in the pipeline for a couple of years, things started to get in motion in the summer, which is based on the jukebox musical The Band, containing Take That songs.
November 2020
Gary released his fifth solo studio album on 27th November, 'Music Played By Humans', which debuted at Number 1 in the UK! It features singles 'Elita' featuring Michael Bublé and Sebastián Yatra, 'Incredible' and 'This Is My Time'. Other album tracks feature vocals from the likes of Beverley Knight, Alesha Dixon and James Corden among others.
2021
On 7th October 2021, Gary surprised fans with the announcement that he was launching his own wine company. He shared photos from his new company Gary Barlow Wines on his social media.
2021
In October 2021, Gary announced his first Christmas album 'The Dream Of Christmas' would come out on 26th November. The album includes new songs like 'How Christmas Is Supposed To Be' as well as Gary's take on some classic tunes.
'Sleigh Ride' and 'The Dream Of Christmas' were released on 28th October ahead of the album.
2022
In January 2022, Gary Barlow announced he would be putting on a theatre performance show called 'A Different Stage', with dates being added throughout the year.
2022: Take That attend the Cannes Film Festival
Howard Donald, Gary Barlow and Mark Owen attend the Cannes Film Festival in the south of France in support of Greatest Days, the musical movie inspired by Take That, featuring their songs.
2022: Mark Owen teases future plans
Mark told PA that he, Gary and Howard had been working remotely to make music for their ninth album, adding that a tour could follow suit: "We have been talking. We have got a movie coming out next year. And we have been talking obviously about a new record and when that will be and what kind of thing that will be.
"So those kinds of conversations are open and always a part of the background. It is always there in my head. I am always thinking."
2023: Take That performed at the Coronation Concert
Gary, Howard and Mark performed at Windsor Castle as part of the Coronation Concert on 7th May 2023. According to a press release, former members Robbie Williams and Jason Orange were offered the opportunity to reunite with the band for the occasion, however they did not appear during the concert.
Speaking about the performance, the current line-up of Take That said: "This will be our first live show since the 'Odyssey' Tour, four years ago in 2019, and what a stage to come back on. A huge live band and orchestra, a choir, military drummers, the backdrop of Windsor Castle and the celebration of a new King. We can't wait."
Taking to Twitter to share footage of their performance following the concert, Take That later assured fans that there will be more to come from the group. The band wrote: 'It was incredible to perform live together again for the first time in 4 years and there is so much more to come. We're back for good.'
2023: Take That documentary
On 14th June a Take That documentary called 30 Years in The Making was released on ITVX. The documentary is designed to accompany the musical film Greatest Days, which was in cinemas from 16th June.
2023: Take That announce tour and release ninth album
Take That released their ninth studio album called 'This Life' on 24th November. They have also announced a tour in support of the album for 2024.
2024: Take That release new single 'You and Me'
At the end of March 2024, Take That released a brand new single called 'You and Me' to celebrate their upcoming 'This Life on Tour' shows.
2024: Take That announce 'The Greatest Weekend' festival
Take That have announced a special four-day event called 'The Greatest Weekend', which will take place in Malta in October 2024. The event will include two performances from the band, in addition to appearances from special guests, a pool party and nightclub events.
Fellow artists on the line-up include Sugababes, Ella Henderson, Sam Ryder, Daniel Beddingfield and Heather Small, with more to be announced.
2024: Take That join Lulu on tour in Manchester
Surprising fans, Take That joined Lulu while she was on tour in Manchester, on her 'Champagne For Lulu' tour. They performed their 1993 hit 'Relight My Fire'.
2024: Take That Netflix documentary announced
In August 2024, Netflix announced a new Take That documentary was in the works. The series, which has not been named, will feature unprecedented insight into the band, and include interviews with former members Jason Orange and Robbie Williams.
Take That's musical Greatest Day was released in UK cinemas on 16th June 2023.
Now read:
Gary Barlow's journey to stardom: From Take That to solo artist
25 facts you probably didn't know about Take That
Take That: Everything you need to know about the 90s heartthrobs