McAvoy, 28, had been tipped by industry insiders as the frontrunner to step into the shoes of the late Nirvana singer, who died in April 1994 of a self-inflicted shotgun would to the head.

But the Atonement star pleads ignorant to any knowledge of the movie, which is to be executive produced by Cobain's widow Courtney Love and will use details from the late star's unpublished journals. - more on this story