Joanna Lumley’s $200k offer to Jennifer Saunders
Joanna Lumley offered Jennifer Saunders $200,000 to write an ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ sequel.
The 70-year-old actress made the cash incentive to her co-star because she was keen for another installment, but Jennifer’s fellow co-creator Dawn French was the first to make a financial offer to the actress which proved to be very costly.
Speaking at the Australian premier of ‘Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie’, Jennifer told Daily Mail Australia: "She [Dawn French] bet me $100,000 when I told her I was writing it, she said ‘$100,000 you don’t’.
"I had to pay her, she wasn’t paying me."
Jennifer – who penned the film script – recently admitted plans to create a sequel to the film.
She said: "We’re doing it again, certainly. I want this again. If people go and watch it, yes."
Helen Lederer, who plays Catriona in the sitcom-turned-movie, also fully expects another ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ film to be created.
She said: "Jennifer realized making the film was so much fun and has created so much work for a lot of people that now it’s almost her responsibility to keep it going.
"I have a funny feeling there will be one (a second film) and who knows what else. I’m just saying, it could work as a musical. Although the thing with musicals is when they fail they fail spectacularly."
The motion picture featured cameos from several celebrities including Kate Moss, Emma Bunton, Kathy Burke and Dawn, who played a talk show host.
Dawn and Jennifer’s sitcom first aired in 1992 until 1994 and spawned five series in total after being revived in 2001 for three years.
The show tells the story of PR firm owner Eddy Monsoon (Jennifer) and fashion magazine director Patsy Stone (Joanna) who spend most of their time getting drunk and indulging in recreational drugs as well as annoying Eddy’s daughter, Saffron Monsoon (Julia Sawalha).
