Ewan McGregor and Albert Finney are to star in director Tim Burton's new film Big Fish.

The Columbia Pictures film is due to go into production in January in Alabama.

It is based on the Daniel Wallace novel Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions.

The story revolves around a dying father (Finney) and his son, who is trying to learn more about his dad by piecing together the stories he has gathered over the years.

The son winds up re-creating his father's life in a series of legends and myths inspired by the few facts he knows.

McGregor will play Finney's character in the re-creation of the tales, www.hollywoodreporter.com reports.

Story filed: 12:43 Thursday 1st August 2002