Trainspotting 2 'will start shooting in May' reveals Robert Carlyle

The long-awaited sequel to British classic Trainspotting will start shooting next month, star Robert Carlyle has revealed.

Carlyle, who is reprising his role as the psychotic Begbie, said the script for the new Danny Boyle film is "absolutely fantastic" and even better than the first film's.

The actor made the comments while speaking alongside the original book's author Irvine Welsh at The Usher Hall in Edinburgh to mark 20 years since the original movie, which became a huge hit in 1996 and made a star of Ewan McGregor and others.

Carlyle said: "We start shooting, I understand, in the middle of May and I think it's going to be pretty much 50-50 between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

"I'm basing this on nothing other than the fact that the production office is on Bathgate. There's a clue there.

"What I will say is that all the characters are exactly where you would want them to be.

"The strength of this new script is the fact that the narrative is a bit stronger than it was in the original.

"In the first one, when you think about it, it's hard to remember what they did other than get together, the drug deal at the end, and then it's over.

"This has maybe got a wee bit more to it in terms of what they've been up to through these years.

"You learn a lot about Renton, Sick Boy and indeed Begbie and where their heads are.

"I think it's an absolutely fantastic script. John Hodge has done a wonderful job, as he did with the original.

"Fingers crossed people will take it on board and they will enjoy it."

The pair also predicted the sequel will contain a nod to the original movie's Britpop, punk and house soundtrack.

Welsh revealed he was initially sceptical about 1990s Britpop artists featuring in a movie based on his book about 1980s Edinburgh drug culture.