HE might be busy filming scenes for The Hobbit in New Zealand, but that doesn’t mean Sir Ian McKellen couldn’t find time to be involved in a low-budget film with a little more bite.

Sir Ian will play the role of the narrator in The Curse Of The Buxom Strumpet, an 18th-century zombie romp.

The film was developed from a short made last year — E’gad Zombies!

Like its predecessor, The Curse Of The Buxom Strumpet will be set in the sleepy town of Upper Trollop, which suffers a ghoulish invasion.

And other famous names already attached to the project include Dame Judi Dench, Gillian Anderson and Mark Williams.

As is so often the case, luck played a huge part in making the film possible.

Writer and director Matthew Butler once lived on the same street as Burnley-born actor Sir Ian, and seized the opportunity to make his acquaintance.

“I kept bumping into him and thinking, ‘Oh my God, it’s Ian McKellen’,” he said.

“Eventually we started speaking to each other and then kind of became friends.”

Matthew, a professional actor, also had a small part in The Da Vinci Code, in which Sir Ian played the morally corrupt Sir Leigh Teabing.

A few years later, when he dreamed up the idea for E’gad, Zombies!, he knew exactly who he wanted to take on the role of the narrator.

The film was premiered at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, where the production team have returned this week to enter into talks about sales and distribution for The Curse Of The Buxom Strumpet.

Matthew said: “It is, in essence, once again an 18th-century zombie comedy, but with a slightly more realistic approach to it, although it’s still a jolly romp!”

Although the film has only just entered development, Sir Ian’s scenes have already been filmed in order to fit in around his filming commitments for The Hobbit.

Matthew said: “Considering it all started because of a short film which took four days to film, it isn't bad going.”

And it seems the relationship is one that will blossom — next month the team is filming a low-budget version of an 18th-century play, Miss In Her Teens, which Sir Ian was also to narrate prior to heading to Chichester Festival Theatre, where he will be starring in a stage version of The Syndicate.

“He’s a busy man,” Matthew said.

l For more information, visit fizzandgingerfilms.co.uk.