Nowhere Boy

Seen here in The Thief Lord, and more recently the male star of Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging , fast-rising star Aaron Johnson (who attended Jackie Palmer stage school and is now represented by Hamilton Hodell) will portray John Lennon in a film about his teenage years, and the two women who dominated and shaped his early life - his mother and his aunt - will be played by Anne-Marie Duff and Kristin Scott Thomas.

Aaron, 18, has signed a contract to portray one of the world's most celebrated and influential rock artists.

Hundreds of teens were auditioned the length and breadth of the country but it was felt that Aaron, who sings and plays guitar, had the acting talent to bring the Lennon depicted in Matt Greenhalgh's screenplay to life.

Aaron just wrapped as the central lead in Matthew Vaughn's 'Kick Ass', alongside Nicolas Cage. Prior to that, he shot a major supporting role in 'The Greatest' with Susan Sarandon and Pierce Brosnan, which premieres in Sundance, and played the romantic lead in Gurinder Chadha's 'Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging'.

The film, Nowhere Boy, will begin shooting on locations in and around Liverpool in March, with Ealing Studios being used for interior scenes.