New ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ Script To Come From Jennifer Saunders By End Of The Year

British comedy icon Jennifer Saunders has vowed that by the end of 2023, she will have completed a new Absolutely Fabulous script based on the beloved BBC sitcom.

Saunders, 65, promised her long-time writing partner and friend Dawn French that she would have an early draft of the project done in the next two months. French previously revealed that she regularly challenges Saunders to work when she can see her friend needs encouragement.

Dawn established a prior deal with Saunders that if Saunders was unable to complete the Absolutely Fabulous script, she would have to pay French £10,000 ($12,100).

When French asked Saunders what she wanted to be “forced to do” in a recent interview, Saunders responded, “I need to write a film or a series based on AbFab, because everyone wants another AbFab movie. I can’t do that, I just don’t have a thing. I want to do something related.”

French asked Saunders’ costar Joanna Lumley whether or not she would be involved in the film, to which she responded, “Possibly.”

Absolutely Fabulous debuted in 1992 and follows Saunders and Lumley as characters Edina Monsoon and Patsy Stone, two boozy career women in London. The show went on to become a British TV classic and spawned five seasons with four specials through 2012.

In 2016, Saunders and Lumley returned to star in Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie, which became one of the U.K.’s top-grossing movies of the year.