ACTRESS Emma Cleasby is poised to cause a stir with her chilling debut movie role in which she copes with seven-feet tall werewolves, a cast made up entirely of men, and a shocking climax.

The former Kirkby Lonsdale schoolgirl plays Megan in hotly-tipped new horror film Dog Soldiers, which had its UK premiere in Newcastle this week, and opens next Friday, May 10.

Emma, who is from Dent, attended Queen Elizabeth School, and still remembers her " fantastic drama teacher" Di Sharratt.

The actress was first spotted by Dog Soldiers director and writer Neil Marshall when she appeared in the television teen drama Byker Grove.

Emma, who has worked extensively on the stage and has appeared at the Old Laundry Theatre in Bowness, and in village halls in places like Shap and Appleby, was up against plenty of competition when she auditioned for the role, which she said she felt "very lucky" to get.

She appears alongside established names including Sean Pertwee, who fronts the Natural Nylon production company with fellow actors Jude Law, Ewan McGregor and Sadie Frost.

Emma plays zoologist Megan who has been working in Scotland studying wildlife, and as the actress puts it, has got "too close to nature".

A group of British soldiers out on manoeuvres stumbles into an encampment where something terrifying has taken place.

Megan rescues the soldiers and takes them back to a deserted farmhouse but the worst is yet to come, and they are soon surrounded by hairy and hungry werewolves.

"It's a really fresh film to be coming out of the British film industry," said the 30-year-old actress.

"It's very different and I think it's why it's caused such a stir.

Nothing like this has been done in British films for years.

The British film industry does gangster movies really well and comedy films, but we haven't tried to do an action horror film for ages."

Emma, who will be seen on our screens later this year in a BBC drama called The Project, about the creation of New Labour, is keeping her fingers crossed that Dog Soldiers could open doors for her.

She hopes to visit home soon to see her parents Ingram and Monica Cleasby and to watch the film with them.