CHERRYBOMB/EXPLODING AN IMAGE

Headline: "Rupert Grint commits murder to escape the Harry Potter tag." Yes, fame can be a burden that drives actors to do strange things. Grint hit the news when stepped out as Ron Weasley in HP’s Socerer’s Stone in 2000 and has been an A-list celebrity ever since.

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But no actor of any character wants to be known as a one trick pony and Grint, like many child stars before him, has attempted to break his fame chains. Twice, indeed.

But somehow his parts in the low key Thunderpants and Driving Lessons did not do much to enlarge his image, despite his admirable efforts. The roles were simply too small.

Now he is on set in Belfast sinking his teeth into much larger fare, playing best mate to school chum Robert Sheehan (from TV’s The Tudors), as the summer holidays begin and they are determined to have the best time of their lives.

Naturally no red-blooded - let alone red-haired - boy can do have that much fun without the help of a girl: cue the entrance of luscious Kimberley Nixon (above).

Generous though she is willing to be with her charms, she can only have one beau and, in order to decide which of the two deserves the privilege, she encourages her suitors to carry out increasingly dangerous and illegal deeds with, ultimately, fatal consequences.

Some hint of Nixon’s captivating qualities can be gauged from the fact that she has graduated from TV’s mild Cranford to three new and more daringly titled films: Easy Virture; Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging; and Wild Child.

In short, she packs more than enough punch to drive any young lad to distraction. Or, in the case of Cherrybomb, to murder.

The film is directed by two Belfast based newcomers Glen Leyburn and Lisa Barros D’Sa from a screenplay by Daragh Carville.

Keeping an eye on the pair will be Mark Huffam and Simon Bosanquet’s Generator Entertainment along with Belfast producer Michael Casey’s Green Park Films, who developed the project with Brian Kirk, and James Flynn’s Dublin-based Octagon Films.

For further cred, the film will be scored by acclaimed Hollywood composer David Holmes who handled Out of Sight, Ocean’s Eleven, Twelve & Thirteen and, most recently, Hunger for Britain's Steven McQueen.

Posted July 7, 2008/