Budding young actors will get the chance to become part of cinema history when an open casting call for two lead roles in the new Star Wars film is held in Glasgow later this month.

Casting directors for Star Wars: Episode VII will hold open auditions between 10am and 2pm on Saturday, November 16 and Sunday, November 17 at South Block, Wasp Studios, 60-64 Osborne Street.

It is rumoured that the film will star Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher, who appeared in the original trilogy.

The sci-fi flick will be directed and co-scripted by JJ Abrams, best known for his work on Lost and the last two Star Trek movies. It is due to begin shooting at Pinewood Studios in Spring 2014 and is scheduled for a 2015 release.

Film-makers are looking for a young, beautiful, smart, athletic woman to play a 'street smart and strong' orphaned teenage girl in the movie. They are also searching for a handsome, smart, athletic youngster to fill the role of a 'smart, capable and courageous' man in his late teens or early 20s.

According to the casting call, the female character "was quite young when she lost her parents. With no other family, she was forced to make her way in a tough, dangerous town. Now 17 she has become street smart and strong. She is able to take care of herself using humour and guts to get by."

The male character "has grown up without a father's influence... He can appreciate the absurdities in life and understands you can't take life too seriously".

Details about the open auditions first appeared on the @UKopencall Twitter account, which announced a nationwide search for lead roles for a Disney movie. Disney bought Lucasfilm, the company which produced Star Wars, in October 2012.

The casting call will begin in Bristol on Saturday before visiting cities across the UK.

Those attending the auditions must be over the age of 16 for the female role and 18 for the male part.