Ewan McGregor and Mickey Rourke star in 'Stormbreaker'

They join Bill Nighy and newcomer Alex Pettyfer in the schoolboy spy movie.

Jun 30 2005

A star-studded cast has been lined up for the $40 million movie adaptation of Anthony Horowitz's schoolboy spy bestseller, 'Stormbreaker'.

Alex Pettyfer (who played the title character in the recent TV hit 'Tom Brown's Schooldays') will star as the 14-year-old secret agent Alex Rider, but it's the cast assembled around the youngster that's really got us excited.

Mickey Rourke, the man whose career is back from the dead following a scene-stealing performance in 'Sin City', plays Darrius Sayle, a megalomaniac businessman who doubles up as Alex's nemesis.

Bill Nighy, officially the coolest man this journalist has ever interviewed (and no, that's not just because he's a Crystal Palace fan), is Mr Blunt, Alex's spymaster at MI6.

Ewan McGregor, currently dancing up a storm in the West End production of 'Guys and Dolls', is Ian Rider, Alex's superspy uncle and guardian, while recent Oscar nominee Sophie Okonedo will play the youngster's colleague, Mrs Jones.

With Damian Lewis, Alicia Silverstone, Ashley Walters and Missi Pyle rounding out the cast, and with martial arts legend Donnie Yen co-ordinating the kung fu, 'Stormbreaker' is already shaping up to be the kind of film that will give a certain schoolboy wizard a run for his money next year.

Production kicks off on the Isle of Man next week, with much of the shoot taking place on location in London and at Pinewood Studios under the watchful eye of 'White Noise' director Geoffrey Sax.

• 
•