Trainspotting (film) discussing which chapters of the book would and would not translate into film. Hodge finished the first draft by December. Macdonald secured financing from Channel 4, a British television station known for funding independent films. Pre-production began in April 1995. Ewan McGregor was cast after impressing Boyle and Macdonald with his work on their previous film, "Shallow Grave". According to Boyle, for the role of Renton, they wanted the quality of Michael Caine's character in "Alfie" and Malcolm McDowell's character in "A Clockwork Orange", "repulsive ... with charm "that makes you feel deeply ambiguous about what he's doing." McGregor shaved
Ewan McGregor also portrayed the younger Edward Bloom in the critically acclaimed film "Big Fish" (2003) alongside Albert Finney, Jessica Lange, Alison Lohman and Billy Crudup. In the same period, he also received critical acclaim for his portrayal of an amoral drifter mixed up with murder in the drama "Young Adam" (also 2003), which co-starred Tilda Swinton. McGregor voiced two successful animated features; he played the robot Rodney Copperbottom in "Robots", which also featured the voices of Halle Berry and Robin Williams, and he voiced the lead character in Gary Chapman's "Valiant" (both 2005), alongside Jim Broadbent, John Cleese and Ricky Gervais.