HOLLYWOOD star Ewan McGregor has revealed he is devouring Irvine Welsh’s latest novel – which follows a younger version of his famous Trainspotting character.
Skagboys, a prequel to Welsh’s 1993 book Trainspotting, follows an early 20s version of Mark Renton as he changes from a “daft young guy” out for a buzz on drugs, to a total junkie.
McGregor took to Twitter yesterday (wed) to let Welsh he was “tearing through” his newest novel.
The book is set in the years before Trainspotting, which McGregor starred in the film version of alongside Robert Carlyle, Ewan Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller and Kelly Macdonald.
After Welsh tweeted his followers yesterday: “If you haven’t got Skagboys, get in there”, McGregor was quick to reply: “tearing through it.”
Despite have more than 340,000 fans on Twitter, Irvine Welsh is one of a select 69 people that McGregor chooses to follow back.
McGregor has previously said wouldn’t rule out starring in Porno, Welsh’s sequel to Trainspotting.
Danny Boyle, who has been lined up to direct Porno, famously fell out with McGregor after he cast Leonardo DiCaprio in the 2000 blockbuster The Beach.
Other actors from the original film, including Robert Carlyle and Jonny Lee Miller, have publicly stated they would like to take part in the project.
Carlyle, who played Begbie in the film, said he would “jump through hoops of fire backwards” for the filmmaker and would “do Porno tomorrow for nothing.”
Boyle and McGregor have not worked together since 1997?s a Life Less Ordinary.
In an interview in June this year, Danny Boyle said he had seen McGregor “a few times” since their famous fall-out, adding: “I hope we can keep that going and develop it. I’d love to do another movie with him.”
He confirmed plans for the sequel were underway, writing: “There’s a script, well, an early draft. I’m working with Jonny Lee Miller [who played Sick Boy], and when we get the script ready, I’ll approach the rest of the original cast and see how much it appeals.
“It’s not as reverential to the book as Trainspotting was — but that book was a masterpiece. I don’t think even Irvine Welsh would call Porno a masterpiece.”
