A BRITISH sporting folk hero is set to soar into Prestatyn.

Skier and Olympian Eddie 'the Eagle' Edwards, known as "Eddie the Eagle", will go off-piste and join the cast of Prestatyn production company Canned Media forthcoming drama Kicking Off.

Scenes are expected to be filmed in Prestatyn in May or June, including some shots with the skier, whose plucky performance captured the world's imagination at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada - despite finishing last in both of his events.

Director Lee Howard said: "I have worked with some great names from television, sport and music - but Eddie is a bit special. He’s one of those people that will always be remembered for that moment in Calgary."

Eddie's endearing attempts at climbing the podium saw Anglesey actor Taron Egerton portray him in the 2016 biographical film Eddie the Eagle, alongside Hugh Jackman, and make him an ideal fit for the film's subject matter, Heaton Stanley.

The film follows the terminally unlucky fictional grassroots junior football team - named after Lee's grandfather Stanley Heaton, as well as with a knowing wink to infamously bad club Accrington Stanley - as they try desperately to win a game under new chairman Jim Davidson, played by Prestatyn county councillor Paul Penlington.

Eddie will play himself in the movie, he is brought in by team coach Clive Long - Mark 'Little Mark' Holland, of the History Channel's Pawn Stars UK - to give the underachieving team a much needed pep talk.

Hampshire Chronicle:

Mr Howard added: "I got the idea of approaching Eddie after watching the movie about him that starred starring Hugh Jackman. I was speaking with producers Ian Price and Paul Penlington about bringing in a sporting icon, we had talked about many people, even flirted with Eric Cantona, but then whilst watching the film about Eddie it occurred to me he did what the team in Kicking off are trying to do, to achieve the impossible. that was it, I went out and got him."

Mr Holland, who worked with Canned Media previously on Womble, said: "It’s really great to be working with Lee Howard again, and to do scenes with the Olympic legend Eddie The Eagle Edwards is just amazing."

Eddie and Mr Holland are just two of the guest stars in the feature film, that already has a cast list of 25 actors including former Coronation Street actors Steven Arnold, better known as Ashley and Grandpa God collaborator Bruce Jones, who played Les Battersby and Jonny Dixon - Darryl Morton on the soap - with more guest stars expected to join the football based film in the coming weeks.

To view the trailer and short film, or to donate toward the production, visit indiegogo.com/projects/kicking-off-film#/.