Rebel role: Gary oldman to star in new Easter rising movie
Saturday October 24 2009
BATMAN actor Gary Oldman is to play rebel James Connolly in a massive €20m Hollywood film.
The movie, Easter Sixteen, is based around the 1916 Rising and will begin shooting in Dublin next April.
Other stars appearing in the production are Scent of a Woman actor Chris O'Donnell, LA Confidential star Guy Pearse -- who will play Padraig Pearse -- while Ian Hart, who had a role in Michael Collins, will play Thomas Clarke.
The film is considered to be one of the most important things to happen in the Irish film industry in years.
Historical sites such as Kilmainham Jail and the GPO are expected to act as locations for the filming.
Dublin-born actor Jason Barry, who starred in Circle of Friends and Titanic, will make his directorial debut with the movie. Easter Sixteen will be the first film to feature the Rising since the Neil Jordan-directed Michael Collins, which was released in 1996 and starred Liam Neeson, as Michael Collins, and Julia Roberts.
The film will be produced by Marathon Pictures' Nicola Charles, the wife of Jason Barry, Ned Dowd, Brendan Foley and Jason Barry and associate producer Nigel O'Dell.
Ms Charles said: "There has been much speculation about the identity of Jason and my first choice for the role of James Connolly. But, for us, there has only ever been one actor for this role. Gary Oldman."
-- Cormac Murphy
- Cormac Murphy
