Colin Farrell to star in $50 million Drogheda famine relief movie

CMpunked

Hollywood heartthrob and former bad boy Colin Farrell has been confirmed to play the lead role in a film which is due to start shooting in Drogheda and Turkey in October. Leonardo DiCaprio had been in the running for the role but the producers decided Farrell is more suitable.

Alongside Farrell in the film “Famine” which has a budget of $50 million, will be fellow Irish actors Saoirse Ronan and Sean Bean as well as renowned Turkish actors Burak Özçivit and Kenan Imirzalioglu.

Turkish scriptwriter Ömer Sarikaya got the idea for the movie during a visit to Drogheda four years ago when he saw the plaque on the wall of the Westcourt Hotel commemorating the humanitarian aid sent to Drogheda by Turkish Sultan Abdülmecid during the famine.

He’d never heard the story before and reckoned that neither had the vast majority of the millions of Irish and Turkish people around the world, so he set to work on a script. The resulting movie, which is to be directed by Irish director Mark Mahon, is expected to be in cinemas sometime next year.

Auditions for around 25 speaking roles and 200-300 extras are set to take place in August.

http://droghedalife.com/viewarticle.aspx?smid=791&aid=3692#.T__wp2VtRKs.facebook

Lord TSC

Oooh, do want in please

Wonder where details of auditions will go up. I was offered a minor, minor role in Love is the Drug years ago but it was recording when I was on holidays

CMpunked

Time to sign up to movieextras.ie i think! :pac:

A month probably isn't long enough for me to get down to a realistic famine weight.

Lord TSC

Deleted User wrote: »

A month probably isn't long enough for me to get down to a realistic famine weight.

Oh....right....that may be a problem for me too actually

MugMugs

Teamshadowclan wrote: »

Deleted User wrote: »

A month probably isn't long enough for me to get down to a realistic famine weight.

Oh....right....that may be a problem for me too actually

No problem. You could be Lords instead.

washiskin

Ya mean there's a chance that....Sean Bean.....will be in Drogheda??!!:eek::eek:

Ah jaybus I've come over all faint.....squeeeeeeeee!!!!

Gandalph

No doubt Seany Bean dies in this like every other screenplay he's been in! Might get myself down for those auditions, Colin used to go to my school so might throw that out there...."Ah yeh me and Colin go way back, theres a chemistry there"

Pauvre Con

I've a well spoken English accent so could possibly be an extra for the dark side.

"If it's only the potatoes that are affected then you will pay the price for being a fussy eater" etc etc...

DundalkDuffman

So that's why Drogheda United have the turkish flag on their crest. Lovely!

kormak

Pauvre Con wrote: »

I've a well spoken English accent so could possibly be an extra for the dark side.

"If it's only the potatoes that are affected then you will pay the price for being a fussy eater" etc etc...

kormak

DundalkDuffman wrote: »

So that's why Drogheda United have the turkish flag on their crest. Lovely!

it's a beautiful story, but unfortunately it's just myth...

southlouth type

kormak wrote: »

it's a beautiful story, but unfortunately it's just myth...

who says so ? You and Tom Reilly :eek: Proof ?

kormak

southlouth type wrote: »

who says so ? You and Tom Reilly :eek: Proof ?

Ohh I don't know... me, Tom Reilly and any other historian worth their salt will tell you it's untrue.
The emblem is from the royal seal of King John, who presented the town with its charter in 1194.
It's been floating around Drogheda for hundreds of years before the famine days!

Pauvre Con

kormak wrote: »

Ohh I don't know... me, Tom Reilly and any other historian worth their salt will tell you it's untrue.
The emblem is from the royal seal of King John, who presented the town with its charter in 1194.
It's been floating around Drogheda for hundreds of years before the famine days!

Yeah, same as Pompey.

Lord TSC

kormak wrote: »

it's a beautiful story, but unfortunately it's just myth...

So is the bible but that doesn't stop there being a whole lot of movies and fans of it.

kormak

don't go making baby Jesus cry...

mny25

hi guys,

just wondering if anyone knows the name of the film company that will be producing the film? would love to try wrangle some sort of work experience!

Biscuits Brown

*Bump

Just wondering if anyone has any news on this project, one year+ later?

Thanks

My name is URL

The only mention I've seen about it since this thread was started was when someone mentioned it in a comment on Reddit!

http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1f7mol/til_during_the_great_potato_famine_the_ottoman/

I've a feeling that it may have been abandoned =(