.... Are irelands new movie stars in the making.

Leonardo Di Caprio is to star in a new film about Brian Boru high king of Ireland.
Talking about Freedom within the Heart, Mr Mahon said that it had the potential to be an Irish version of "Braveheart".

He told the Sunday Independent: "It is a fantastic story about an incredible time in Irish history and I am very excited about the whole project."

DiCaprio, 32, has been in negotiations for the past six months and a decision on the contract is expected this week.

The film will tell the story of Boru's rise to become a powerful leader and will culminate in the Battle of Clontarf between his Irish army and the Vikings.

There are plans to shoot the film on location in Ireland in early 2008.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7020855.stm


Other irish films in production at the moment include "hunger" a film about Bobby Sands
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/news/sto ... 59,00.html

And Vinne Jones is making a new film with Barry McGuigan in Derry about
How greed will always unite people through political divides.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6972064.stm

"Hunger"

What a rotten name for a film about Bobby Sands.

Sweet god in heaven, Vinnie Jones and Barry Mc Guigan in Derry, have the people not suffered enough?

Ye're going to hate this, but any word on how accurate this film is going to be? I suppose it won't do any harm to give the traditional story, but all that BB vs. the Vikings is rubbish.

I seen some trashy film with Vinnie in it a few weeks ago, he was a london irish ira man and it was terrible to say the least.
Vinnies still trying to recreate another lock stock and two smoking barrels, but its not working.

The other films sound interesting, however i couldnt imagine leonardo playing an irish high king.
Any resemblance??

John O'Donoghue could play the grown-up Brian Boru praying in his tent while Michael Ring comes in with a sword to dispatch him.

Brian Boru was 73 at the Battle of Clontarf. How is Di Caprio going to pull that one off?

__________________
"I put down the welter of corruption in Irish politics to Burke's escape from retribution after that exposure in 1974. It gave everybody in the game a licence to steal."

- Joe MacAnthony

Its Hollywood so dont expect too much historical accuracy.

Expect bagpipes fiddles and "top of the mornin" whilst they fight hairy men with horns coming out of their helmets.

Gangs of New York, Titanic, The Departed and now Brian Boru.

Di Caprio's becoming quite the irish film actor.

Hopefully he gets the irish accent right in this one (even though Boru didnt speak english)

Hopefully Julia Roberts will reprise her role of the Irish 'fancy woman' of Kitty Kiernan in Michael Collins.
Expect her to be Queen Maeve, who decides the Bull isn't worth it anymore in order to be beside Brian Boru's side as the love of his life, before they depart in a space ship.

Surely brian Boru should be played by someone like viggo mortensen who despite the name is a committed irish nationalist.