Brian Kelly to direct fraudster drama

British TV director Brian Kelly is to make his feature film debut with Other People’s Money, the true story of a young con man who lived a first class lifestyle through credit card scams.

Kelly, who has directed episodes of Downton Abbey, NBC drama series Dracula and upcoming Starz series Outlander, is newly attached to the project, which is currently in development with Crab Apple Films’ Angus Lamont, producer of Yann Demange’s upcoming thriller ’71.

The development has been financed by BBC Scotland and Creative Scotland.

Neil Forsyth wrote the book, first published in 2008, with former con man Elliot Castro.

Castro was a working-class teenager in Scotland when he worked out how to use the credit card system to his advantage. Identifying banks’ security flaws, he went on a spending spree from London and New York to Ibiza and Beverly Hills, living a fantasy life of first class flights, designer clothes and famous hotels.

But while eluding most of the authorities as he moved from place to place, a detective based in London’s Heathrow was patiently tracking him down.

Forsyth, who recently penned BBC comedy series Bob Servant Independent starring Brian Cox, has also written the screenplay for Other People’s Money.