'Moone Boy' season three will begin filming in Boyle, Roscommon, this Monday 22nd July, with Chris O'Dowd set to direct all six episodes of the new series himself.
Producer Paul Donovan confirmed to IFTN that cameras will start rolling next week and that Chris O’Dowd's directorial debut will encompass the entire season.
The first two episodes of season two recently premiered to strong reviews at the Sky Cat Laughs festival in Kilkenny, featuring appearances by Amy Huberman and Bressie - as early indications that the show is going from strength to strength.
Mr Donovan, what can you tell us about production on season three considering season two won’t start on Sky until the autumn?
The main significant thing is that Chris is directing this time round and will direct the entire season. It’s an eight week shoot. We’ll be up in Boyle again of course and wrap up around the 13th September. There will be a few new cameo roles in season three alright, but unfortunately I can’t reveal them yet. There are a few names that will be nailed down over the next week.
What did you make of the reaction to the season two episode screenings at the Sky Cat Laughs festival in Kilkenny?
It went really well! You’re never that sure how it will go down in the hometown. Nick Vincent Murphy, the writer, is from Kilkenny and Cartoon Saloon are based in Kilkenny as well. So they were nervous about what the reaction might be, but it went extremely well. People were roaring laughing which is always a good sign! Sky are going to run the first series again starting in September and series two will start immediately after that, and in the meantime, we’ll be working away on series three.
Season two is set during Italia '90 world cup hysteria in Ireland. Are there any significant events that will form the backdrop to season three?
We’ve moved on another year into 1991, so there are other shenanigans going on in the family. There are a few developments at the end of season two that are picked up on in season three, so I think the trick is to tune into series two and get ready for the next one.
Do you think nostalgia is a big part of the show’s appeal or what do you think are the programme’s defining attributes?
It’s a fun show for the whole family. But it’s a little bit bold and a little bit on the edge and I think a lot of people like that. It’s not a happy-clappy family. It’s very much a real Irish family, with three older sisters basically bullying a younger man. It’s really distinctly Irish with really uniquely Irish backdrop stories going on. But it’s universal because it’s a family and it’s very character-driven. I think giving Martin an imaginary friend works really well as well and gives it an extra lift. And obviously the animation side of things help to really get inside the character’s head. The imaginary friends will feature quite strongly in upcoming episodes, and yes, Crunchy Haystacks will be back...
‘Moone Boy’ season two is coming to Sky One HD this autumn.