'The Most Disrespectful Shit': Johnny Rotten Slams Upcoming Sex Pistols TV Series

Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon - aka Johnny Rotten - has blasted an upcoming TV series based on the iconic UK band. 

Speaking to The Sunday Times (via NME), Lydon said he is looking at taking the team behind the six-part Pistol series - which is to be directed and executive produced by Academy Award winning filmmaker Danny Boyle - to court.

“I think that’s the most disrespectful shit I’ve ever had to endure," Lydon said.

"I mean, they went to the point to hire an actor to play me but what’s the actor working on? Certainly not my character. It can’t go anywhere else [but court]."

Based on guitarist Steve Jones’ 2018 memoir, Lonely Boy: Tales From A Sex Pistol, the Pistol cast includes Australian actor Toby Wallace (Jones) who played young Michael Hutchence in the 2014 INXS miniseries and appeared in Stan's Romper Stomper and 2019 film Babyteeth, as well as Anson Boon (Lydon), Louis Partridge (Sid Vicious), Jacob Slater (Paul Cook) and Fabien Frankel (Glen Matlock).

Game Of Thrones star Maisie Williams will play UK punk icon Jordan.

“Sorry, you think you can do this, like walk all over me – it isn’t going to happen," Lydon continued.

"Not without a huge, enormous fucking fight. I’m Johnny, you know, and when you interfere with my business you’re going to get the bitter end of my business as a result.

"It’s a disgrace.”

Pistol will screen on FX with a premiere date yet to be announced.

The news comes only days after it was revealed KISS are close to finalising a deal with Netflix for their own biopic, Shout It Out Loud.

The KISS biopic is one of many films based on major music acts underway. Just last week it was announced that Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson will portray punk legend Joey Ramone in another Netflix biopic based on The Ramones, while Respect - based on the life of late icon Aretha Franklin - is scheduled for an August release, while Baz Luhrmann's Elvis Presley biopic will hit cinemas in 2022 and a Bee Gees film is currently being written by UK comic Ben Elton.

Earlier this month, Creation Stories - a biopic based on Creation Records founder Alan Mcgee's life - debuted on Australian screens. McGee joined The Green Room With Neil Griffiths to talk all about the film which you can listen to here.