Filming is now well underway for Trainspotting 2 (currently known as T2), the long-awaited sequel to Danny Boyle’s 1996 cult hit, Trainspotting. Picking up with Renton, Sick Boy, Begbie and Spud in modern-day Edinburgh, the film will reunite Boyle and the cast, all of whom went on to have strong careers owing to Trainspotting‘s release – particularly, of course, Ewan McGregor and Boyle.
Various set photos and videos have emerged from location filing in Scotland, including footage of Ewen Bremner in character as Spud; and now, finally, fans can get a glimpse at McGregor, along with his co-star Johnny Lee Miller, as Mark Renton and Sick Boy, respectively.
Take a look at the Trainspotting 2 set photos posted on Twitter, below.
Trainspotting 2 filming @ScotParl Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller and Danny Boyle. pic.twitter.com/8orSkoo4Ox— Katielee Arrowsmith (@KtLeeArrowsmith) June 4, 2016
Trainspotting 2 filming at the Scottish Parliament. Ewan McGregor and Jonny Lee Miller on set. pic.twitter.com/YlYKz5ydIt— Katielee Arrowsmith (@KtLeeArrowsmith) June 4, 2016
T2 – not to be confused with the Terminator sequel – is understood to be loosely based on novelist Irvine Welsh’s follow-up novel. Porno. Therein, Sick Boy makes a return to Edinburgh to make a porn film, and recruits Renton to help. However, his project faces some difficulties when Spud decides to tell a fresh out of prison Begbie (Robert Carlyle), exactly what Sick Boy is up to. The novel picks up ten years after the events of Trainspotting, whereas T2 is set in the present day, and as yet it’s not known exactly how close Boyle and scriptwriter John Hodge (who also scripted Trainspotting) have stayed to the source material.
The pictures above show that although twenty years might have passed, not a lot has changed regarding the appearance of Renton and Sick Boy. Okay, so Renton has slightly more hair and he’s dressed smarter, but as many will recall, at the end of Trainspotting he was trying to hold down a respectable job. Sick Boy’s blond mop is instantly recognizable and he’s still got a liking for a sharp suit, it seems. Filming is taking place at the Scottish Parliament, though of course, this could be turned into any sort of building for the film’s purpose.
A previously released teaser, featuring a montage of scenes from Trainspotting set to Renton’s classic “Choose Life” voice-over, detailed the U.K. release date of January 2017, with the film opening in the U.S. a week after. McGregor has praised the script for T2, calling it “extraordinary” and added that the compelling writing was what convinced everyone to be on board for a second time.
This is encouraging for many reasons, not least because a cast and director of this caliber are all extremely busy; finding time for everyone to commit to filming is tough, so their willingness to do so speaks of their faith in the story. Fans will certainly be eager to see this sequel regardless but, if done well, T2 has the potential to ignite the passion for Trainspotting in a whole new legion of fans.
Trainspotting 2/ T2 opens in U.K. theaters on January 27th, 2017 and in U.S. theaters for a limited theatrical release on February 3rd, 2017, before it goes into wide release a week later.
