The Mash Report creator Tim Telling has written his first film, The Scurry, a comedy-horror about killer squirrels starring Rhys Ifans, Pixie's Olivia Cooke and I May Destroy You's Paapa Essiedu.

Shooting on the feature, helmed by actor-director Craig Roberts (The Phantom Of The Open, Eternal Beauty) begins on 2 April, with the film co-starring Mia McKenna-Bruce (Josh) and Antonia Thomas, Roberts' co-lead in the Apple TV+ sitcom Still Up.

Two pest controllers are called to an eco-café in a country park to investigate what begins as a routine vermin problem - but as nightfall approaches an avalanche of deranged squirrels descend, wreaking revenge and mayhem on the staff and visitors in the park.

With many fatalities the survivors take shelter in the café as a freak storm takes out the power and communications leaving them isolated and under attack. An eclectic mix of survivors include pest controllers, a sulky teenager, hypocritical vegans, and a drug dealer - there is only an outside chance of survival ...

Former editor of satirical website The Daily Mash and BBC journalist, Telling was the lead writer on The Mash Report on BBC Two and its successor Late Night Mash on Dave. His other comedy writing credits include Have I Got News For You, Newzoids and 10 O'Clock Live.

Shooting on location and at Dragon Studios in South Wales, The Scurry has a budget "north of £10million" and is making use of the recently announced Independent Film Tax Credit.

A co-production between Water & Power Productions, who made Roberts' The Phantom Of The Open and the Sky Comedy sitcom Code 404, Roberts' own company Cliff Edge Pictures (Eternal Beauty), Circus Studios and Brit Entertainment, the latter will also distribute.

The film's producers are James Swarbrick for Water & Power and Adrian Bate for Cliff Edge. The executive producers are Tom Miller and Sam Myer for Water & Power, Roberts for Cliff Edge, Zygi Kamasa for True Brit and James Spring and James Scott for Circus Studios.

"It's great to be back in business with the legend that is Craig Roberts, from his visual flair and skill with the camera meant that the moment we read Tim's incredible script there was only one man for the job" said Swarbrick. "Craig brings a humour and wit to his work, which is ideally suited to a horrifying rodent apocalypse."

Kamasa added: "It's rare to find a commercial, scary, and funny British genre film with such a terrific cast that the filmmakers want to build as a potential British franchise. Craig Roberts is enormously talented, and he and I share a love of legendary genre films like Shaun Of The Dead or Gremlins. The ambition to make something similar is hugely exciting."

Submarine and Horrible Histories: The Movie - Rotten Romans star Roberts merely said: "I'm really happy that somebody has employed me again."