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Trainspotting 2 confirmed for 2017 with original cast

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Trainspotting 2 confirmed for 2017 with original cast
07 December 2015

The rumours have been floating around for so long we'd given up hope that they'd ever come to fruition - but it seems like the stars really are aligning for Trainspotting 2.

According to Den of Geek and The Hollywood Reporter, the sequel to the 1996 classic is "now official" and there's a host of concrete details.

John Hodge is returning to write the screenplay for the new movie, based on the characters 20 years after the original story took place. This acts as confirmation that the film will not be based on Porno, which was the sequel to the original novel. And, speaking of those characters - Ewan McGregor (Rent Boy), Ewen Bremner (Spud), Jonny Lee Miller (Sick Boy) and Robert Carlyle (Begbie) are all confirmed to return.

Production is set to commence in April next year, with release expected in 2017. It had originally been hoped that the sequel would come out for the 20th anniversary of the original, but the actors' filming commitments have not made this possible.

Meanwhile, Sony's TriStar Pictures arm has picked up the worldwide rights for the film.

Robert Carlyle has previously said that he read Hodge's script and said the film, "Is going to be quite emotional for people. Because the film sort of tells you to think about yourself. You are going to be thinking: 'Fuck. What have I done with my life?'"

Danny Boyle said recently of the film, "Obviously it's worrying because people will kill us if we made a bad job of it, I will get absolutely crucified. But you have to thrive on that potential danger within it and if it feeds into it, you might get a decent film out of it, you know."

His latest film, Steve Jobs, received critical acclaim, but has been a box office failure, grossing just $24m of its $30m budget. He should have no such problems with public appetite for Trainspotting 2.