Film about football legend George Best continues search for young star
Entertainment

Film about football legend George Best continues search for young star

THE producer behind a new biopic about George Best is continuing his search for a young actor to play the football legend.

Stephen Evans – who also made a film about late golfer Seve Ballesteros last year - is hunting for a suitable talent to take on the role.

But he does not believe that he will find a star boasting the same footballing talent as the Belfast player.

"George had similarities to Ballesteros," he told the BBC.

"And also it's the same game when people asked me about who was playing Ballesteros, well no-one can, it's impossible. Who is going to play George Best, well no-one can.

"The essential drama is about him growing up and that is totally cinematic - when he's growing up and also when he goes to sunny Manchester.”

He expects that the actor for the role will be chosen in the next few weeks.

Archive footage will also be used in the film.

"What I'm doing on George is to give people an idea of where he came from, what trials and tribulations he had and indeed joys when he was young," he said.

"And so when they look at his life after that when he became at one point the greatest footballer in the world, how did he get there, what happened to him?"

Best, who was from east Belfast, died in November 2005 at the age of 59.

Filming is expected to begin in January.