Irish Arts Minister visits set of ‘Lassie’

Irish Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism John O’Donoghue visited the set of feature film 'Lassie', currently shooting on location in Killruddery House, Co. Wicklow.
Lassie is written and directed by Charles Sturridge, produced by Ed Guiney and will star seven-time Academy Award Nominee Peter O'Toole (Lawrence of Arabia, Troy) and Academy Award nominee Samantha Morton (Sweet and Lowdown, Minority Report). It is based on Eric Knight's classic 1940 novel 'Lassie Come Home'. In total, the production in Ireland will employ approximately 175 crew, 55 cast, and over 1,000 extras.
“Lassie is the latest in a series of high profile movies to shoot in Ireland. The direct benefits for the local economy and for our filmmaking industry are huge and the potential knock-on rewards from tourism receipts are immense," the Minister said. "It is a major priority for Government and for the Irish Film Board to continue to encourage major international studios to choose Ireland as a film location and we will be increasing our resources in the US, with the appointment of a Deputy Film Commissioner to further this work."
Minister O’Donoghue led an Irish Film Board trade mission to the US in February of this year to meet with major Hollywood studios, resulting in the number of international production enquiries significantly increasing.
Lassie is set in Great Britain on the eve of World War II and is shooting in a range of locations throughout Ireland and the Isle of Man over the next two months, including a number of sites in Wicklow, Navan, Co. Meath and Stradbally, Co. Laois. There will also be various shoots in Dublin City Centre, including Clancy Barracks and Pearse Street Station, which will be reconstructed as a 1930s British train station.
Lassie is a co-production by Element Films (Ireland), Firstsight Films (UK), and Davis Films (France) in conjunction with Classic Media. Odyssey Entertainment will handle worldwide sales.
“In an increasingly competitive marketplace, Irish producers continue to attract international productions due to their excellent reputation on the international stage and Element Films was key in bringing ‘Lassie’ to Ireland,” said Irish Film Board CEO Mark Woods. “It is pleasing to see this latest project filming here on the back of a good start to the year. There has been a range of Irish films utilising a variety of support mechanisms from the Irish Film Board, including the Regional Film & TV Fund and the Revolving Pre-Production Cashflow Fund and we look forward to seeing this momentum continue for the rest of the year.”
In addition to Lassie, other incoming international productions shooting in Ireland include UK project ‘Whatever Love Means’, a two-hour TV drama for Granada/ITV, on the early love life of Charles and Camilla, which has a budget of €3 million, and acclaimed director Ken Loach’s new film ‘The Wind that Shakes the Barley’, starring Irish actors Cillian Murphy and Liam Cunningham, currently shooting on location in Cork. This film is produced by Element Films and Sixteen Films and is co-financed by Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board, the UK Film Council and Pathe.
Already having shot in Ireland earlier this year is the new feature film ‘Studs’, starring Brendan Gleeson, and ‘Dead Long Enough’ directed by Tommy Collins.
Neil Jordan’s “Breakfast on Pluto” and Stephen Bradley’s ‘Boy Eats Girl’ will go on Irish theatrical release by the end of the year.
(GB)