Lance Daly’s epic thriller had its nationwide release across Ireland in September and has been added to the latest slate of new Netflix additions.
Upon his return to Ireland in 1847 during the worst of the Great Irish Famine, a hardened Irish Ranger who has been fighting for the British Army abroad abandons his post to return home and reunite with his family. Feeney witnesses the anarchic society that the famine has induced through the hopeless destruction of his homeland and brutalising of his people. He discovers his mother starved to death and his brother hanged by the brutal hand of the English. With little else to live for, he sets a destructive path to avenge his family.
Black ’47 was the top-grossing Irish film of the year and became the first Irish feature to break the €1 million mark at the Irish box office since ‘The Young Offenders’ in 2016.
The Irish Independent has described the film as “an admirable attempt to go where no one has gone before”, while Irish Times Critic, Donald Clarke has said “It’s The Outlaw Josey Wales with more rain and fewer Comanche”, in reference to Clint Eastwood’s 1976 western classic.
Black ’47 stars Hugo Weaving (‘Hacksaw Ridge’, ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy) Oscar® winner Jim Broadbent (‘Iris’) and rising international stars James Frecheville (‘Animal Kingdom’) and Freddie Fox (‘King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’). The star-studded cast also has a strong Irish contingent including prolific stage and screen actor Stephen Rea (‘The Crying Game’, ‘Michael Collins’), Moe Dunford (‘Michael Inside’), Sarah Greene (‘Rosie’) and Barry Keoghan (‘Dunkirk’).
The screenplay was written by PJ Dillon (Rewind), Pierce Ryan (Standby), Eugene O’Brien (Eden) and Lance Daly (Life’s a Breeze, Kisses). Produced by Macdara Kelleher for Fastnet with Tim O’Hair, Arcadiy Golubovich, and Jonathan Loughran. Black ’47 was financed by Primemeridian Entertainment, Screen Ireland, the Luxembourg Film Fund, Wildcard Distribution, Altitude, BAI, TV3, Eurimages, Umedia, Samsa Films, and Fastnet Films.