Roger Moore Eyes ‘Connemara Days’
03 Mar 2010 :
Roger Moore wireimage Tweet Sir Roger Moore, best known for his iconic role as James Bond, is to make his first on-screen feature film appearance in nearly 10 years in Causeway Pictures’ romantic comedy ‘Connemara Days’ which will film this summer in Cong, Co. Mayo and Northern Ireland. ‘Connemara Days’ is a love story situated on the set of the celebrated film ‘The Quiet Man’. to Mark the 60th anniversary of the filming of ‘The Quiet Man’ in Galway, the movie will be produced by Belfast based Causeway Pictures and directed by Kevin Connor (Marco Polo, The Wish List, Black Beard). Other cast currently in discussions to star include IFTA winners Aidan Quinn (The Eclipse) and Sarah Bolger (The Tudors), Thomas Dekker (Sarah Connor Chronicles), Geraldine Chaplin (The Wolfman) and Stacy Keach (Escape from LA, American History X) as the renowned film director John Ford. Sir Roger Moore will also be executive producer on the project which will be cast by the Hubbard Casting Agency. In light of this upcoming project Moore has voiced his delight at the prospect of filming in Ireland: “The Quiet Man’ was undoubtedly the best movie John Ford ever made,” he said. “It is also one of my all-time favourite films. The opportunity to revisit the time when Hollywood arrived in Ireland to shoot it was simply too delicious an opportunity to miss. I’m greatly looking forward to stepping in front of the cameras in Cong and to being a part of this delightful project.” ’Connemara Days’ producer Chris Patterson explains to IFTN how the 82 year old actor became involved with the project: “It was really a case of him getting us as much as us getting him,” he says. “About eight years ago HBO had hoped to do a similar project but then there was a change of management and Gareth Owen, who was the writer, tried to get finance from elsewhere but wasn’t successful. Then recently we were looking at possible projects to make and we remembered this one. Roger knew one of the guys on the team here and really the momentum involved with the project has come at the right time.” The film is being produced by Chris and Gareth Owen (co-executive producer, A Fistful of Fingers). The director of photography is TBC but it has been confirmed that the film will be shot on film as opposed to a digital shoot to compliment the look and feel of ‘The Quiet Man’. Producer Patterson tells IFTN that the financing of the project is shaping up well and, if the last of the financing can be secured soon then filming will commence in August. The film will shoot for four weeks in the (two streets) of Cong – which is, as Chris points out, two weeks longer than the original ‘Quiet Man’ shoot - and the production will then move to Belfast for another two weeks. The film’s costume designer is Susan Scott (Agnes Browne) who will have to create the looks of many different eras including the 20s and 50s as the film darts from ‘The Quiet Man’ set and the people behind the cameras. Chris has described the Irish Tourism Board’s delight at the prospect of filming in Cong – an area which still reaps the tourism benefits of being the setting for ‘The Quiet Man’. Brian Quinn of Failte Ireland has said: "Fáilte Ireland is delighted to offer our support to Causeway Pictures in their efforts to produce ‘Connemara Days’ in Cong, Co. Mayo this summer. The involvement of established film stars like Sir Roger Moore and the list of other stars augers well for ‘Connemara Days’ providing a much needed economic stimulus to the region." Furthermore Causeway Pictures new short film 'Forty Two' will enter into principle photography this week. Co-produced by Don Quixote’s Estate Agency Ltd. and shooting throughout Belfast it stars Gerry Doherty (Five Minutes of Heaven, Fifty Dead Men Walking) and Stuart Graham (Hunger, The Clinic) as two government agents who are tasked with finding a ticking bomb before it goes off. The story has been written by Pol Mag Uidhir and will be directed by David Cooke, who previously worked together on ‘The Morse Collectors’, Ryan Kernaghan (Dinner Party) is director of photography for the short which will be shot on RED with Sarah Speers (assistant art director, Johnny Was) as production designer. Causeway's Chris Patterson will produce. Free Industry Newsletter Subscribe to IFTN's industry newsletter - it's free and e-mailed directly to your inbox every week. Click here to sign up.

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