NORTHERN IRELAND SCREEN CELEBRATES ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR IN FILM AND TV PRODUCTION
Date Posted: January 2, 2025
2024 has proven to be a remarkable year for Northern Ireland’s film and television industry, with a diverse slate of productions showcasing local talent, captivating audiences worldwide, and garnering critical acclaim. From epic fantasy to hard-hitting dramas, Northern Ireland Screen has once again demonstrated the region’s strength as a world-class production hub.
Reflecting on the success of 2024, Richard Williams, CEO of Northern Ireland Screen, said: “This year has been extraordinary for Northern Ireland’s screen industries. The range and quality of productions filmed here showcase our world-class talent, stunning locations, and cutting-edge facilities. From box office hits to critically acclaimed TV dramas, we are proud to support storytelling that resonates globally. We look forward to continuing this momentum in 2025 and beyond.”
We bow out of 2024 on a high with Kneecap being shortlisted for two Oscar nominations for Best International Film and Best Original Song, following hot on the heels of it sweeping the British Independent Film Awards, taking home seven gongs including the most coveted Best British Independent Film.
Northern Ireland Screen is poised for another stellar year in 2025, with several productions already confirmed to begin filming. These include the third season of the hit police drama Blue Lights, a crime thriller inspired by the largest cash heist in UK and Irish history, No Ordinary Heist, and the reimagining of the classic legend The Death of Robin Hood which stars Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer.
This year’s cinematic lineup was rich with variety and ambition, bringing some of the most exciting productions to Northern Ireland’s landscapes and studios. The beloved Universal Pictures’ franchise How to Train Your Dragon took a new direction with its live-action adaptation, directed by Dean DeBlois and starring Mason Thames, Gerard Butler, Nico Parker. The production filmed at Titanic Studios, Belfast Harbour Studios and on location across Northern Ireland. The film set for release on 13th June 2025.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the Game of Thrones prequel series, brought medieval Westeros back to Northern Ireland. The series is an adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s novella “The Hedge Knight.” This HBO Original drama was filmed at Titanic Studios and key locations across the country.
How to Get to Heaven from Belfast, the highly anticipated new Netflix series from Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee has recently completed filming. Produced by Hat Trick Productions the series has a host of local talent attached including director Michael Lennox and producer Brian Falconer. It stars Roísín Gallagher, Sinéad Keenan and Caoilfhionn Dunne who play the leading roles of Saoirse, Robyn and Dara, three childhood friends, now in their late 30s, who are reunited following the death of a fellow friend.
Northern Ireland played host to several high-profile TV dramas, showcasing the region’s talent both in front of and behind the camera.
Two Channel 4 drama series are currently shooting; Trespasses and In Flight. Trespasses, based on Louise Kennedy’s breakout debut novel of the same name is a forbidden love story, set against the backdrop of the Troubles. Lola Petticrew plays Cushla, a sparky young woman whose hopes and dreams have been frustrated by the grind of daily life. Tom Cullen plays Michael, a barrister, alongside Gillian Anderson as Gina, Cushla’s mother, a ‘glorious wreck’ who is constantly sparring with her daughter.
In Flight stars the award-winning Katherine Kelly playing a flight attendant who finds her life turned upside down when she is blackmailed into drug smuggling after her son is arrested. Set across dynamic global locations including Bangkok, Bulgaria, Istanbul and London, filming is taking place in Belfast.
The second series of gripping courtroom drama Show Trial, produced by World Productions, delivered sharp, thought-provoking narratives. Long Story TV’s Hope Street returned to Donaghadee for its fourth season. Funboys, a 4-part comedy series about three emotionally-unassembled young men in small-town Northern Ireland was produced by MayHay Studios and written by Rian Lennon (also directs) and Ryan Dylan who also star in the show. All three series were for BBC.
A raft of Channel 5 dramas shot in Northern Ireland this year including Ellis, a crime thriller featuring Sharon D Clarke and Andrew Gower, produced by Company Pictures. The third season of Dalgleish, based on the novels by P.D. James and produced by New Pictures. Crime drama The Puzzle Lady starring BAFTA award-winning Actress Phyllis Logan; best known for playing Mrs Hughes in the award-winning television series Downton Abbey. The series is produced by Factual Fiction and December Films.
Additional dramas such as Pickle Storm series 2 for CBBC, Art Detectives for Acorn TV, and Malpractice series 2 for ITV rounded out an impressive slate of TV drama.
Independent film continued to keep crew busy with Brad Anderson’s sci-fi action-thriller World Breaker, starring Milla Jovovich and Luke Evans. The story centres around a father and daughter sheltering on an island after dangerous creatures from another dimension entered through a tear in reality. The film was produced by local man, Martin Brennan.
Saipan, a new film about the events leading up to Ireland’s incendiary 2002 World Cup campaign filmed over the summer. BAFTA nominated Éanna Hardwicke plays Ireland football captain Roy Keane, with two-time Oscar nominee Steve Coogan cast as the Ireland manager Mick McCarthy. Award Winning local filmmakers Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn (Good Vibrations, Ordinary Love) are directing.
Irish language film Aontas written by Damian McCann and Sarah Gordon, with Damian also directing stars Carrie Crowley (An Cailín Ciúin/The Quiet Girl) and Bríd Brennan (Dancing at Lughnasa). Caught up in a local conspiracy, a grieving mother must choose between community justice and personal revenge. Aontas is the first project to come through Gealán – the feature length Irish language drama initiative from the Irish Language Broadcast Fund, BBC Gaeilge and TG4.
The gaelic noir theme continued with Crá, a thrilling six-part Irish-language crime drama. In a remote village, a mystery begins to unfold when the body of a local woman is discovered buried in a bog. Set in the wilderness around Gweedore in Donegal it stars Dónall Ó Héalai (Monster, Foscadh), Alex Murphy (The Young Offenders) and newcomer Hannah Brady.
Audiences were treated to several outstanding projects this year with content made here being broadcast on big and small screens all over the world.
Kneecap, the acclaimed Irish-language film directed by Rich Peppiatt began the year on a high by winning the Audience Award at Sundance, it took home Best Irish Film at the Galway Film Fleadh in July before opening in 109 screens across the island of Ireland on August 8 – the widest ever opening for an Irish film and it grossed over €1.5m at the Irish box office.
Netflix film Lift was the most-watched title for two weeks in a row, with 36.7 million views when it was released in January. It was also in the Top 10 in 93 countries. The film followed an international heist crew, led by Cyrus Whitaker (Kevin Hart), race to lift $500 million in gold from a passenger plane at 40,000 feet before the fortune ends up in the wrong hands.
Breathtaking, a searing, thought-provoking and poignant account of an NHS doctor in the eye of the storm during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic aired on ITV in February. The series, produced by Jed Mercurio’s independent production company, HTM Television received much critical acclaim.
In March the second series of comedy horror Wreck, directed by local man Chris Baugh aired on BBC Three.
In the Land of Saints and Sinners, starring Liam Neeson and Ciarán Hinds was released on Netflix in April. Penned by Mark McNally, the captivating script emerged through Northern Ireland Screen’s esteemed New Writer Focus scheme, designed to nurture emerging voices in Northern Ireland.
The second series of the critically acclaimed Belfast-based police drama Blue Lights aired on BBC in April. Average viewership for the second series of Blue Lights was 4.48 million viewers per episode.
Soul Office, an animated short film from Taunt Studios and developed through Northern Ireland Screen’s Creative Animation Scheme, was released on Disney+ around Halloween. The ten-minute animated comedy follows the misadventures of a criminal duo who meet an untimely end during an ATM heist. Determined to complete their scheme from beyond the grave, they return as ghosts for one last attempt.
Three films made in Northern Ireland featured at the Newport Beach Film Festival, showcasing the region’s talent on the international stage; Old Guy, The Wise Guy and Dead Man’s Money. Old Guy is coming to cinemas and digital platforms on 21st February.
Two projects that have been receiving huge audience and critical acclaim in recent weeks have significant links to Northern Ireland and have been a fantastic showcase of our talent; The Day of the Jackal and Say Nothing. The Day of the Jackal is written by Belfast man Ronan Bennet and a number of episodes have been directed by Armagh man Brian Kirk. Say Nothing features a huge cast of Northern Ireland actors led by Anthony Boyle and Lola Petticrew, with four of its nine episodes directed by Michael Lennox.
Northern Ireland Screen continues to drive the region’s creative industry to new heights, reinforcing its reputation as a dynamic and essential part of the global film and television landscape.
