Dad's Army is back - but did anyone ask for it?

It's one of the most unlikely movie commissions in recent times (forget the Jumanji reboot for now). A franchise that had its glory years in the seventies and for whom just one of the original actors is even still alive.

But, nonetheless, it's happening, and the first trailer of the film, based on the much-loved BBC series Dad's Army, is here.

First off, the casting looks pretty flawless - Toby Jones as the pompous, bumbling bank manager-turned-squad-leader Captain Mainwaring is perfect, Bill Nighy as the suave, upper-class Sgt. Arthur Wilson likewise, while Michael Gambon is a dead ringer for loveable Charles Godfrey - while the minute-long clip hints at a nice continuation of the gentle humour of the original.

The story will see our heroes in 1944 - after the time setting of the original - trying to seek out a German spy who happens to be in their town of Walmington-On-Sea, all while a glamorous journalist (played by Catherine Zeta-Jones) reports on their platoon. Needless to say, mishap and misadventure will surely follow.

But is it completely out of sync with modern times? Did anyone ask for this film? Since a majority of its target audience are dead, surely it's destined to be a flop?

The original series was, and still is, hugely loved, with plenty of repeats filling the schedules of the lesser-known satellite TV channels. The co-writer of the TV series Jimmy Perry said of the original, "We expected the show to have limited appeal, to the age group that lived through the war and the Home Guard. We didn’t expect what has happened that children from the age of five upwards would enjoy it too."

And that could be the key: kids might just love this. You just never know - anything with Bill Nighy in has got half a shot of appealing to the Richard Curtis fans which, while they may not be as potent a force as in the past, can still push a film to success. Mind you, if it is, what then: Dad's Army - The Cold War Years?

Dad's Army is released 5 February 2016