Rob Heydon to direct Irvine Welsh's 'Ecstasy '

Ecstasy, is a new film based upon the Irvine Welsh bestseller, will be lensed by acclaimed video director Rob Heydon. The film will be a dark romantic comedy set in Scotland, Amsterdam, Berlin and Ibiza, Spain.

Welsh's first book, Trainspotting, was published in 1993 and was subsequently made into a iconic film that went on to become the most profitable motion picture of 1996.

Ecstasy, a collection of three short stories, was published in 1996 and became No. 1 in it's first week of publication. The film is based on "The Undefeated", the last novella in Welsh's book, which was previously adapted into a play and performed to sold-out audiences in Canada and Scotland. After seeing the play, Welsh called it the best adaptation of his work, opening the door for Heydon to obtain the rights to produce a film adaptation.
Ecstasy is a redemption story about purifying the pursuit of transcendent experience reached with drugs, dance and music, by encouraging self discipline and healthy lifestyles that naturally empower.

The film is about a jaded ecstasy dealer, on the Edinburgh dance scene, who struggles to overcome a debt to a local gangster when he has an eye opening experience of true love with a straight girl.

For many young people today burdened by the weight of a cynical 'modern' world, the liberating energy and excitement of underground dance culture becomes the 'sole' - and occasionally the 'soul' - trigger for initiating these kinds of transformative experiences.

Successful Wall Street Trader Jonas Grossman, experienced in funding venture capital deals, is one of the backers.

Ecstasy is in the casting process and actors will be announced shortly. Welsh comments, "Rob impressed me as a man who knows what he's doing, rare in this game. I think we'll start to see some pretty damn hot action on this soon."

Rob Heydon has won numerous VideoFACT awards from Much Music. For the clip "Alive" by rock singer Edwin, Heydon won a People's Choice Award from the influential Much Music Video Awards, along with a Juno Award for Best Video. His work has been featured in showcases on MTV, MuchMusic, MovieTV, MindF#@K (a program on the UK Sci-Fi Channel), VOLT on TVO and Viva in Germany. DJs Richie Hawtin aka Plastikman and John Digweed aka Bedrock have featured Heydon's videos as visuals during their tours and eletronic music concerts. Heydon has produced and/or directed over 100 other music videos, commercials and documentaries. Heydon's film THE DUDE is currently in post-production.

In the past, Heydon's short films have screened and won awards at various festivals around the world.
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