Tim Burton's Peculiar movie star'¨twins are unmasked as Leighton boys!

Thomas and Joseph Odwell, aged 10, from Appenine Way, play the disguised ballerinas in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children from 20th Century Fox, which was released in the UK on Friday (September 30).

In January 2014 the boys and their family attended a casting at the Gillette Building, Isleworth, after a friend told them that a movie agency was looking for ‘older twin boys who looked small for their age’. Initially being cast as body doubles, the twins were delighted to land the main roles during rehearsals, and spent a magical six months filming from March to July 2015.

Proud mum, Stacey, said: “The best thing the boys enjoyed about filming was working with the other children. They were all of a similar age and were always playing jokes – they used to hide in the toilets and scare each other!

“The children would go swimming together at the hotel after shooting and Tim Burton was very kind, treating them with tickets to a Pleasure Beach.”

The film, based on the novel by Ransom Riggs, follows the story of a boy who is sent to an abandoned orphanage after a family tragedy, finding children with special powers.

Filming of the strange tale took place in locations including Belgium, Blackpool and Cornwall, while Thomas and Joseph received stunt high wire training in order to ‘fly’ out of a window, and motion training, so their characters could walk and pick up objects in sync. They were also given a minimum of three hours schooling per day, having a tutor who followed the syllabus as requested by Beaudesert Lower School, where the boys were in Year 4 at the time.

And of course, between studying and acting, the twins rubbed shoulders with some big names.

Stacey said: “Samuel L. Jackson would always let the children take selfies with him and Tom and Joe loved working with Tim.

“He was really creative and would say, ‘we’re just gonna roll with this’ - but if it didn’t work he would change things. He would always put the children’s wellbeing at the forefront of filming.”

The cast reunited for a screening of the film on September 16, in Soho Hotel, London, while excited fans watched a premiere in another room before being treated to a presentation from Tim and co.

The team then met for one last time at a private screening at the Odeon, Leicester Square, on September 25.

After the star studded outings, the boys treated family, friends and teachers to a viewing at the Odeon, Milton Keynes, on Friday - luckily, minus their scary costumes!

Their father, John Odwell, said: “Like the characters, they probably have some twin telepathy. They can answer questions for each other and sometimes say the same words at the same time.

“Before the film we’d made YouTube videos at home but the twins had never been to drama school. On set they were very professional, calm and relaxed - not in awe of anything. They were very receptive to Tim and anyone in charge.”

Thomas and Joseph have an Instagram account, @theodwelltwins, and hope to become involved in more television and films.

But will you see them unmasked in the film?

You’ll have to watch it and find out!