Dublin actor Aidan Turner has seen his odds slashed to 7-1 in the race to play the next James Bond. The Clondalkin man is now fifth favourite behind Rege-Jean Page, Henry Cavill and Michael Fassbender, sitting at 7-1 alongside Idris Elba. He has even overtaken previous favourite Tom Hardy this week. The new ranking also puts Turner ahead of previous front-runners Lashana Lynch (10-1) and Jamie Dornan (12-1).
Irish director John Carney, whose credits include the Oscar-winning ONCE, is to direct a biopic of pop icons the Bee Gees. US entertainment trade publication Deadline says the film from studio Paramount Pictures will include surviving Bee Gee Barry Gibb among its executive producers. GK Films, the company behind the Freddie Mercury biopic BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY and the Elton John biopic ROCKETMAN, is producing.
Jessie Buckley has been busy lately. Following her outstanding portrayal of a young mother in THE LOST DAUGHTER, the Irish actor earned herself an Oscar nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category. The good news for us then as Buckley will be returning to our screens in the new A24 thriller, MEN, alongside award-winning James Bond actor Rory Kinnear. Written and directed by Alex Garland (EX MACHINA and NEVER LET ME GO), the horror drama is set for release later this year.
Pierce Brosnan has revealed that he didn’t enjoy certain aspects of playing James Bond. During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Brosnan revealed that there were a few things that really bothered him about his take on James Bond. First off, Brosnan revealed that he “loathed” the “one-liners” that the character was known for.
Branagh wins Best Original Screenplay! Thirty-two years after receiving his very first Academy Award nominations for 1989’s HENRY V, actor-director Kenneth Branagh has officially won his first Oscar. Branagh took home Best Original Screenplay for his latest film, BELFAST, during yesterday’s Oscars ceremony. Branagh wrote and directed the semi-autobiographical Belfast, which stars Jamie Dornan, Caitriona Balfe, and the young Jude Hill. The film follows a working-class family and the son’s childhood during the late 1960s in the Northern Ireland capital.
Irish cinematic talent was honoured at the Oscar Wilde Awards, hosted by the US-Ireland Alliance in Los Angeles this week. In its 16th year, the awards honoured Hollywood stars including Jamie Dornan, up-and-coming Irish actor Dónall Ó Héalai, and Kenneth Branagh.
This Oscar weekend, there is much to be proud of for Irish film lovers. The Irish Times takes a look back at the great wins Ireland has snagged at the ceremony over the years, including double-wins for Daniel Day-Lewis and Brenda Fricker for MY LEFT FOOT in 1990, Neil Jordan’s win best for original screenplay for THE CRYING GAME in 1992 and Glen Hansard’s Best Original Song for ONCE in 2008.
DERRY GIRLS star Nicola Coughlan is going to the big screen. The BRIDGERTON actress, who first captured Irish hearts as Clare Devlin in DERRY GIRLS, will star alongside SEX EDUCATION‘s Aimee Lou Wood and Shrill’s Lolly Adefope in a new historical comedy. According to Variety, SEIZE THEM!, is set in dark ages Britain and follows a Queen (Wood) who is toppled by a revolution led by Coughlan’s character.