Gerard Barrett, the young filmmaker who rose to fame in 2013 with his debut feature 'Pilgrim Hill', is set to return to the director's chair this New Year, with another young rising star in Irish film set to join him.
Element Pictures have announced that Jack Reynor, who originally drew acclaim for his award-winning performance in the titular role of Lenny Abrahamson's 'What Richard Did', will play the lead role in Barrett's second feature, set to begin principal photography on January 8th 2014.
'Glassland' tells the story of a young taxi driver in Dublin who, attempting to save his mother from addiction, finds himself caught in the world of human trafficking. Fresh from the set of Michael Bay's latest 'Transformer' film, Reynor will lead a 'Glassland' cast consisting of Will Poulter ('Chronicles of Narnia'), Michael Smiley ('A Field In England') and the award-winning Toni Collette ('The Way Way Back') as his mother.
Written and directed by Barrett, 'Glassland' is produced by Ed Guiney and Juliette Bonass for Element Pictures in association with Nine Entertainment. Executive produced by Andrew Lowe, the film is financed by the Irish Film Board and Element Pictures Distribution.
Says Barrett: "I feel incredibly privileged to get the opportunity to work with this fine group of international actors on 'Glassland'. I look forward to collaborating with them all individually in bringing our story to life on the screen."
Producer Ed Guiney, who dubs Barrett's 'Pilgrim Hill' as "one of the most impressive film debuts we have seen in a very long time", praised the amazing cast and mentioned his high hopes for working with Barrett. "He is an amazing filmmaker and a brilliant new voice."
