Who’s ready for more stories from the world of Trainspotting? Begbie star Robert Carlyle seems to be! A new TV series based on Trainspotting has been announced and rather than a reboot, this will continue the story of Begbie and we will, at least at first, see him as a changed man.
The series, which will be called The Blade Artist, is taken from the sequel book of the same name that was penned by Irvine Welsh. The news was revealed by Deadline.
Carlyle first played Begbie in the original Trainspotting movie in 1996. He reprised the role previously for the sequel that came out in 2017 but most of us thought that would be it for the character.
As for what this sequel series will be about, well, as mentioned, Begbie has got his life together and is in a much better place – he now uses the name, Jim Francis. But that all looks set to change when he returns to Edinburgh for his son’s funeral. Begbie barely knew his son and his return to his home city will put his new life to the test.
“The prospect of working with Irvine and bringing Francis Begbie to life once more is an absolute gift,” said Carlyle who is no stranger to TV having appeared in many shows including Once Upon a Time and Stargate Universe.
“Begbie is Begbie and Robert is the long-term friend and collaborator who inspirationally brought the character to life with his incendiary portrayal,” added Welsh. “To say I’m excited at us reuniting creatively on this project is obviously something of an understatement.”
Buccaneer Media will produce the new series that also has Carlyle and Welsh on board as executive producers. We’ll keep you posted with all the latest on The Blade Artist as we hear it.
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