Bradford entrepreneur Wayne Anthony is about to put his home city on the British blockbuster movie map.

The 47-year-old, who started out as a hairdresser in Wyke before opening up a chain of salons, then cashing them in to turn property designer, and has also been a stand-up comedian and internet TV presenter, is on the verge of co-producing a new independent Brit movie about super-strength zombies.

Dad-of-two Mr Anthony, who bought an internet channel – UK Unseen TV – and is soon to see its programmes reach half-a-million homes digitally, was introduced to the makers of Apocalypse Zombies thanks to a kickboxing friend and Facebook.

“I’ve had many dreams that have come true but one of them I’ve still to achieve is making a blockbuster film – now it’s happening.

“I’ve never worked so hard in my life before and I’m loving it. Unseen TV is taking up a lot of my creativity but I can’t wait to get started on the film. It’s scheduled to start in the new year.”

Mr Anthony, who spends most of his working week in London but won’t give up his Bradford roots, met award-winning director Chee Keung Cheung and producer Mark Strange from Intense Productions in Bradford last week to show them round the city, looking for shoot locations.

Mark is an actor and fight choreographer who has worked with the likes of Jackie Chan and on movies including Batman Begins.

“They liked what they saw. There are some old, derelict buildings off Canal Road that looked suitably apocalyptic. We thought Black Dyke Mill in Queensbury would make a brilliant prison because of the barbed wire and turret its got,” he said.

He added: “The zombies go shopping and everything. We’re thinking of speaking with Morrisons to see if we’ll be able to film there.

“The zombies aren’t those dead-dull ones who look as though they’ve just got in from the night before. They have special human-strengths in whatever they excelled in before they were zombified, whether its kickboxing or streetdance. The film’s got edge.”

Almost all the funding is now in place to start the cameras rolling, and auditions will begin in about five weeks.