South Shields actor and well-known Newcastle fan to star in Tyneside crime film

South Shields actor and Newcastle United content creator Steve Wraith stars front and centre in the trailer for upcoming film A New Breed of Criminal.

The movie tells the tale of reformed Elswick criminal Stephen Sayers and was written by Wraith, who plays Sayers, himself. The trailer for the film, which is due out later this year, was released this week.

Filmed across Tyneside and Tenerife last year, Stephen Sayers himself worked as an executive producer on the film, overseeing the re-telling of his life.

Stephen said: "It has been a great experience for me being on set and seeing the script come to life. The actors have really captured the characters and I think it will surprise a lot of people."

Wraith, who has 50,000 followers on his NUFC Matters YouTube channel, has been at the centre of the film throughout its development.

The 51-year-old actor honed his skills in the North East at the Young People's Theatre in Heaton and then at Newcastle College. Since then, Wraith's career went from pantomime to an extra on the likes of Byker Grove and Tracey Beaker before scoring film credits in The Krays: Gangsters Behind Bars and Rise of the Footsoldier 3: The Pat Tate Story.

A New Brand of Criminal is his next venture and, whilst a release date is still to be confirmed, is due out in 2023.

In a recent interview, the film's director Richard John Taylor said: "I have been involved in a few crime films over the years so this script really appealed to me on so many levels. It really is 'Get Carter' meets 'Rise Of The Footsoldier'. There was a real camaraderie onset and we were blessed with really talented actors and wonderful locations."

The trailer for the film is out now some familiar faces including Michael McKell (We Will Rock You) who plays Vic, Nicholas Ball (Hazell, Eastenders) as Charlie Kray, Eddie Webber (Rise Of The Footsoldier 3 and The Business) as Ed, Lesley Saint John (Auf Wiedersehen Pet) as Aunt Vera and Tony Hodge (Byker Grove) as Uncle Albert.