Definitely an imaginative portrayal of mega-fans…

After years of planning, proposing and gaining approvals, the Smith’s-inspired film Shoplifters of the World is finally set to hit screens this month, with the first trailer just arriving over the weekend. Directed and written by Stephen Kijak, the film is based on a dramatised story of a Smiths mega-fan who held a Denver radio station by gunpoint in the ’80s, demanding that the DJs only play songs by, you guessed it, The Smiths. However, the film also follows four friends as they simultaneously are reeling from the dissolution of the band, interspersing the two arcs as the filmmakers craft a mad dedication to one of the greatest band’s in British history.

The trailer is gloriously 80s, equal parts retro, edgy and nostalgic as they capture the burning passion of the music scene in 1980s England. Of course, the party and club scenes are totally wild, the hairstyles are flailing and most importantly, the trailer is jam-packed with The Smiths songs (there are said to be 20 songs overall in the soundtrack). Interestingly, it seems the film portrays the gunman who takes the radio station hostage kind of favourably, with crowds cheering him on and thanking him as he completely gives into his Smiths-inspired madness.

Still, it’s a super interesting reimagining of the classic story, and will no doubt be a blast from the past when its out March 26. Check the full trailer below.