'Film sequel is exciting' - Bank of Dave founder

A businessman whose story was made into a a Netflix film says the announcement of a sequel is "dead exciting".

Bank of Dave told the story of Dave Fishwick who set up a community bank in his Lancashire home town.

The self-made millionaire started Burnley Savings and Loans in 2011 to lend money to people struggling to secure loans from bigger banks.

Bond star Rory Kinnear returns in the sequel with Mr Fishwick himself playing a villain.

Mr Fishwick told BBC Breakfast: "We were so lucky that the first movie was number one all over the world, it's Netflix's fastest commissioned sequel in history and it's their most successful British independent film of all time."

The second film focuses on the payday loan industry.

"The baddies are in America so there's a lot more America in this one and it's really exciting," Mr Fishwick said.

"It's much bigger than anything I've ever been involved in.

"I play a baddie in this one. I can't play myself because Rory looks too much like me, it would be like twins," he said.

Netflix said the sequel, released in 2025, was based on "a true-ish story" set two years after the community bank was founded.

It sees Dave recruit Jessica (Chrissy Metz), an American investigative reporter, and Oliver (Amit Shah), a local Citizen’s Advice counsellor, to help bring down predatory corporations.

Mr Fishwick said he wanted to focus on payday loans as they "prey on the poor and vulnerable and they need shutting down".

"I want to change things," he said.

Mr Fishwick became successful after he founded a van and and minibus company.

Burnley Savings and Loans gives its profits to charity, including meals for school children, rather than giving out bonuses.

By 2022 the company said it had lent more than £27m to thousands of people and businesses.

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