A WORLDWIDE audience beckons for a North-East band after they secured a spot in a major Hollywood movie.

The image of melodic rock band Fude will appear in the new movie Ocean's 12 alongside stars Andy Garcia, Brad Pitt and George Clooney.

Drummer Matthew Roberts, bass guitarist Adam Austin, guitarist Sam Cull and frontman Jack Hardwick, all students of Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, in Darlington, came to the attention of film studio Warner Brothers after the band's agent, David Begg, sent off information about them.

Warner Brothers was on the lookout for a poster image of a band to be used as background in one of the film's scenes.

Andrew Cull, Sam's father, said: "It's an all-star cast so the band was speechless at hearing the news. The Americans were impressed with Fude's website and it went from there."

The film, the sequel to Ocean's 11, is being directed by Steven Soderbergh and will be released at the end of the year.

Published: 03/04/2004