James McAvoy to host podcast telling real story of Hollywood film

The Drumchapel-born star will narrate the first episode of Retold, a new audio series of real-life stories as told by celebrities.

In the first episode of the four-part series, James will talk about the true story behind the 2016 black comedy film War Dogs, which starred Jonah Hill and Miles Teller as two teens who became prominent arms dealers in the Iraq and Afghan wars. 

James said: “The true story behind War Dogs is wilder than I thought.

"Reading the story of Gun Runners Efraim Diviroli and David Packouz’s unlikely rise to the top of the arms trade is so mind-blowing it's almost unbelievable. 

“The beauty of audio storytelling is that without the distraction of special effects and visuals, we’re forced to become fully immersed in the details and thread of the story.

"I hope you’ll enjoy getting into the murky details with me.”

Retold has been launched by Curio, an audio journalism platform that curates and narrates news and content from publications from around the world.

Curio also has produced original series including sustainability-focused Planet for Tomorrow, hosted by Gemma Styles, and What Do I Know?!, written and hosted by X Files and Sex Education star Gillian Anderson. 

Christina Moore, Curio’s chief content officer, said: "James McAvoy breathes new life into this remarkable story of two teenagers who make millions trading arms with the US government during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Transforming exceptional stories into highly produced narrated audio opens timeless journalism like this up to an entirely new audience.

"We’ve been super excited to kick off the Retold series with James, and are delighted to give a platform to lesser-known stories, read by iconic stars in the coming series.” 

Episode one of Retold, The Stoner Arms Dealers: How Two American Kids Became Big-Time Weapons Traders, is told by James McAvoy and is on Curio now.