URBAN and rural locations across the North-East will be shown off “to great effect” in a new big-budget film which has started production.

The Liability, featuring Tim Roth – of Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs fame – in the leading role, was filming at Chester Moor, near Chesterle- Street, yesterday.

Written by John Wrathall, the production also features Jack O’Connell (from the TV series Skins), Peter Mullen (Tyrannosaurus) and Talulah Riley (Pride and Prejudice, and St Trinian’s).

The “darkly comic road movie” is about Adam, a young man who dreams of becoming a hitman and Roy, a hitman who dreams of retiring.

Producer Richard Johns, of Corona Pictures, who made his first film, Killing Time, in the region, said: “We have a terrific cast. We are very lucky, because the quality of the script is very high as well.

“The story takes place almost entirely within the North-East and, given I started my filmmaking career some 20 years ago, of course it is a great pleasure to come back to the region and make a film here and to show it off to great effect.”

He added: “Of course, with the level of the acting talent we are lucky to have attached to the film, it means we have a greater than usual chance that the film will be released in cinemas worldwide. We are quite excited about it, obviously for ourselves, but for the region as well.”

Mr Johns said the cast and crew would be travelling all over the region in the coming weeks.

He said: “We will be travelling from Holy Island in the north to Redcar in the south and covering a lot of places in between, as well as to the west.

“As a road movie we are travelling quite a lot, almost continuously in the story with various stop-offs, including urban and rural locations.

“So we are really hoping we can do great justice to the region and make a very entertaining thriller.”

The film makers aim to have the film completed for the Cannes film festival in May, with the UK release expected in August.

Funding of £138,000 has been given to the production company from Northern Film and Media’s Finance for Business.