By James Hibbs

Published: Wednesday, 04 May 2022 at 12:00 am


Danny Boyle is back and he’s bringing with him one of the most highly anticipated biopics of the year, Sex Pistols drama Pistol.

The six-part series is based on Steve Jones’ 2017 memoir Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol, and features Toby Wallace, Jacob Slater, Anson Boon Christian Lees and Louis Partridge as the member of the punk rock band.

The show, which is set to land on Disney Plus, will chronicle the band’s early days in West London, as well as their rise to fame and their connection with world-famous fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood.

Read on for everything you need to know about Pistol on Disney Plus.

Pistol release date

Pistol is set to release on FX on Hulu in the US, but will stream on Disney Plus in the UK. The series will premiere in both countries on 31st May 2022, with all six episodes available at once.

The official synopsis for the series reads: “The furious, raging storm at the centre of the rock and roll revolution are the Sex Pistols – and at the centre of this series is Sex Pistols’ founding member and guitarist, Steve Jones.

“Jones’ hilarious, emotional and at times heart-breaking journey guides us through a kaleidoscopic telling of three of the most epic, chaotic and mucus-spattered years in the history of music.”

Pistol cast: Who stars in the Danny Boyle series?

""
Anson Boon as John Lyndon, Louis Partridge as Sid Vicious, Toby Wallace as Steve Jones, Jacob Slater as Paul Cook in Pistol
Rebecca Brenneman/FX

The series stars Toby Wallace (Babyteeth) as Steve Jones, who will act as the show’s lead, with the story told from his perspective. Other notable cast members include Talulah Riley (Westworld), Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones) and Thomas Brodie-Sangster (The Queen’s Gambit). Here’s a full list of the Pistol cast:

  • Toby Wallace as Steve Jones
  • Jacob Slater as Paul Cook
  • Anson Boon as Johnny Rotten (aka John Lydon)
  • Christian Lees as Glen Matlock
  • Louis Partridge as Sid Vicious (aka Simon Ritchie)
  • Sydney Chandler as Chrissie Hynde
  • Talulah Riley as Vivienne Westwood
  • Maisie Williams as Jordan (aka Pamela Rooke)
  • Emma Appleton as Nancy Spungen
  • Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Malcolm McLaren

The series is directed by Academy Award winner Danny Boyle, who is known for hit films such as Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours.

What have the Sex Pistols said about the series?

The series is based on Steve Jones’ 2017 memoir Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol, and is told from his perspective. Jones was also an executive producer on the series.

However, John Lydon (Johnny Rotten) has called the series “the most disrespectful sh*t I’ve ever had to endure” and tried to stop his bandmates from licensing the band’s music for the series. Paul Cook and Steve Jones sued Lydon to allow their songs to feature in the series, and won the legal battle in August last year.

Pistol trailer

FX dropped a full trailer for Pistol at the start of May, and you can watch it in all its glory below.