ACTOR Sir Ian McKellen has recorded the opening voiceover for a film shot entirely in Lancashire.

The film, Displaced, is being produced by a small Preston-based film company, Skylandian Pictures.

Sir Ian McKellen, a former Bolton School pupil, said: "From what I have seen of the film, it looks sensational, fantastic, very exciting - and funny as well."

Displaced follows a character called Stel, a humanoid alien.

He teams up with a British soldier to find a top secret file holding information about advanced energy production and captured alien space crafts.

Support for the film has been gathering pace, and a deal has been secured with US-based Silverline Entertainment Inc which will see the film hitting big screens worldwide.

Producer Mark Strange, who also acted in Batman Begins, said: "We had a tremendous response to Displaced at the American Film Market and many parties were seriously interested, but Silverline Entertainment Inc offered a deal and we accepted within 24 hours.

"The signing means that our debut feature will be distributed worldwide later this year.

"It's the news weve all been working so hard to hear."