FOREST star Olly Alexander has great expectations of 2012 after winning a part in the latest Dickens blockbuster.

Olly, from Coleford, will play Herbert Pocket in the Mike Newell film of the popular Dickens classic.

The star-studded movie will be released next year to coincide with Dickens' bicentenary.

Films, books, a TV series and museum exhibitions are all planned as the world gears up to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of the world's greatest literary giant.

Olly is due to finish filming the part of Herbert Pocket, the loyal friend and near constant companion of main character Pip.

Writer David Nicholls says it is more of a thriller and will have a different ending to David Lean's 1946 version. Jeremy Irvine, the young British actor chosen by Steven Spielberg to play the non-horse role in War Horse is Pip.

"I'm loving it, it's been amazing," said Olly.

"We've finished filming at a mansion house and now we are around the docks in East London.

"Most of my scenes so far have been with Jeremy Irvine but now there's a lot to do with Ralph Fiennes who plays Magwitch."

The film has already attracted worldwide attention and clashes with a BBC version to be screened over Christmas.

Helena Bonham Carter and X Files star Gillian Anderson will go head to head as they compete for the best Mrs Haversham.

Olly and Jeremy's performances will undoubtedly be compared to Harry Lloyd and Douglas Booth who play Herbert and Pip in the BBC version.

Holliday Grainger, Robbie Coltrane and David Walliams are also in the film which is another major coup for Olly.

Critics have described Olly as a rising star. He has appeared in Enter the Void, Tormented and Gulliver's Travels, as well as a number of plays and TV series.

But the busy young man still finds time to perform with his electric folk band at famous jazz club Ronnie Scotts.

Once again he will be spending Christmas at home with his proud mum Vicki Thornton, friends and family.

She said: "He also had a part in another film but that kept getting put back and back.

"He had a few months when he was living in London without any work but then both came up at once and he had to choose."