stars up for movie first night
A dazzling array of screen and sporting stars - including David Beckham - will descend on the North for the premiere of football flick Goal!, the Sunday Sun can reveal.
Organisers are confident that the England hero - who puts in a cameo appearance in the film - will be among the celebrity guests at the red-carpet event, which kicks off in mid-September.
The Sunday Sun has learned that film-makers want the Sage Gateshead music centre to host the glitzy night, although programmers there say it has yet to be firmed up.
A source told us: "Speculation is rife that Beckham will turn up, and all the other key players and local celebrities will be there too."
Beckham is known to have a great affection for the North East as he always receives a warm welcome from football fans during England games played here.
Since opening last December, the Sage Gateshead has welcomed in scores of top musical names, but the Goal! premiere promises to be the most glamorous celebrity night the region has ever seen.
The entire cast will be there on the night, including leading man Kuno Becker, Anna Friel, Sean Pertwee, Kieran O'Brien and Alessandro Nivola.
They'll be joined by director Danny Cannon, the man who is also behind the blockbusters Judge Dredd and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.
Newcastle United are expected to be out in force too, led by Alan Shearer and Kieron Dyer, who also have roles in the story.
Goal! is the first in a trilogy following the fortunes of young hispanic footballer Santiago Munez, who comes to England from Los Angeles to join the Magpies.
Later movies will show him moving on to Spain's Real Madrid and taking part in the match of his dreams at the World Cup.
Speculation is rife that the film crew will be returning to Newcastle to shoot part of Goal 2, as scenes will have to reflect how he swaps the Mags for Madrid . . . but no plans have yet been put in place.
In the meantime, fans eager to get a sneak peek at the film can view an exciting trailer, set to the suitably picked score of Kasabian's Club Foot, on the official website set up by the film's distributor Buena Vista International.
The one-minute teaser shows the young Santiago flying 6000 miles to come to Newcastle and is filled with dazzling shots of the Quayside, Tynemouth and a dizzying aerial view of St James's Park . . . see it for yourself at www.goalthemovie.com.
A spokesman for regional funding group Northern Film & Media said: "We gave Goal! a lot of location advice and support and helped them find crew and facilities.
"We're delighted to hear that the film is to get a North East premiere and we're sure it will be a great night. It's great to see the North East showcased in cinemas across the world yet again."
