TRANCE

James McAvoy

• TRANCE

Last month, it looked like Danny Boyle was going to be recruiting Michael Fassbender for his next planned film, art heist thriller Trance. But in just a few short weeks, it appears that things have changed, with Fassbender’s X-Men: First Class co-star James McAvoy now in early discussions to take on one of the lead roles instead.

The plot will find an assistant at an art auction house planning daring robbery alongside a shady gang leader (McAvoy, if he signs). But the assistant suffers a blow to the head and loses his memory, prompting the gang to try to pry the information on the stolen painting’s whereabouts from his puzzled brain using a hypnotist’s skills.

Trance is already intriguing in that Boyle is aiming to shoot the film in September before letting the footage sit on a shelf while he toddles off to busy himself with coordinating the 2012 London Olympic opening ceremony next year. Once the pomp and circumstance is complete, he’ll head to the editing room to knock the thriller into shape ready for a planned release in March 2013. It remains to be seen whether he’ll meet that deadline, but given Boyle’s tenacity and work rate, we’re sure he’ll give it a good try.