Stars heading to Keighley for film's world premiere

Jenny Agutter, Tom Courtenay, Sheridan Smith and John Bradley will be amongst those attending the glittering event, at Keighley's Picture House cinema.

Also present will be director Morgan Matthews, producer Jemma Rodgers and writer Danny Brocklehurst, as well as a number of local and national celebrities from the world of entertainment and sport.

Guests will arrive from 12.45pm, but the film's cast will be there just ahead of that for photos. The screening is ticket-only, but there is a public showing of the film at 5pm. The movie's general release is on July 15.

The film – a sequel to the 1970 classic – sees three Second World War evacuee children sent by their mother from Salford to Oakworth where they are met by Bobbie Waterbury (Jenny Agutter), her daughter Annie (Sheridan Smith) and grandson Thomas (Austin Haynes). When the children discover injured American soldier Abe, hiding out in the rail yard at Oakworth Station, they are thrust into a dangerous quest to assist their new friend.

The Picture House is no stranger to glitzy premieres. It hosted a visit by Dinah Sheridan – star of the original Railway Children film – when she attended a special screening of Genevieve, in which she also starred. The 1996 version of Jane Eyre – directed by Franco Zeffirelli and featuring Charlotte Gainsbourg, William Hurt and Joan Plowright – was also premiered in front of a galaxy of stars. And Blow Dry, a film set in Keighley about competition and skulduggery in the hairdressing world, was also premiered there.

"I am very much looking forward to this event," said Picture House proprietor, Charles Morris. "We’ve been working hard for several weeks getting everything ready. We’ve fitted new carpets, installed a new screen and sound system – with StudioCanal – and have been generally sprucing the place up. It will be very gratifying for Keighley to take its rightful place alongside Hollywood and Leicester Square."