Leslie Ash returning to Quadrophenia ‘follow-up’ – report

Quadrophenia star Leslie Ash is reportedly returning to star in a ‘follow-up’ to the mods and rockers movie classic.
Earlier this year (16) it was revealed that To Be Someone, a new film featuring Quadrophenia stars Phil Daniels and Toyah Willcox, would begin filming in 2016.
Many outlets dubbed the movie a “sequel” to the 1979 movie, based on The Who’s 1973 rock opera, due to both movies depicting Britain’s “mod” music scene and their similar casts.
This resulted in The Who’s surviving members and management distancing themselves from the new film and branding it an attempt to “cash in” on the original’s legacy.
Its director Ray Burdis subsequently denied it would be a sequel, but has now reportedly signed up Leslie, who played the original film’s female lead Steph, to star alongside her Quadrophenia castmates. Gary Shail, another star of the first film has also reportedly joined the To Be Someone cast.
“Leslie Ash and Gary Shail are on board and bosses are in talks with a big name that is being kept under wraps,” a source told The Sun.
The war of words between Ray and The Who members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend had threatened to derail the project, but the insider reveals that production on the movie is now going ahead, saying, “There was a battle with The Who which delayed filming. It has now been resolved and production is moving forward.”
During the 1960s The Who were one of the standard bearers for ‘mod’ culture, and brought the youth movement’s signature style of suits and scooters to the screen a decade later.
Ray told NME.com that the confusion over whether he is making a sequel comes from his friendship with many members of the Quadrophenia cast.
“I have never stated that it was a sequel, and if people draw that conclusion from the cast, what can I do?” he explained. “The fact that some of the cast are in my film is purely coincidental; they are old friends who I have known for years, who like the script and have an interest in the Mod culture.”
Representatives for Leslie have been contacted for comment on the casting news.