Ananova:

Ewan McGregor is to play the lead role in Britain's biggest ever animation movie, as a wood pigeon called Valiant.

The £24m comedy tells the story of a lowly pigeon who overcomes his small stature to become a hero in Great Britain's Royal Air Force Homing Pigeon Service during World War II.

Bizarre as it sounds, the plot is actually rooted in fact - the British did use homing pigeons to carry important messages and the Germans did respond by stationing falcons all along the French coast.

Sir Ben Kingsley, will voice General Keyserlingk, the feared German falcon leader. Other actors lending their voices include Ricky Gervais, Jim Broadbent, Rupert Everett, Hugh Laurie and John Hurt.

The film has just begun production at Ealing Studios with an animation taskforce of nearly 100 artists under director Gary Chapman and Shrek producer John H Williams.