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Movies & TV

13th Apr 2023

All-star Irish cast set to star in what could be the next In Bruges

Rory Cashin

night boat

The movie is based on a hit book first published in 2019.

Say what you will about The Banshees of Inisherin, but it was no In Bruges 2, which may have disappointed some fans of that darkly comic crime caper. However, if you’re a lover of that genre of movie, you will soon have your appetite sated by Night Boat To Tangiers.

Based on Kevin Barry’s 2019 novel of the same name, it tells the story of Charlie and Maurice, two career criminals from Cork city who are in Spain looking for Maurice’s missing daughter. The entire story takes place within the walls of a terminal building at a Spanish port over a 24-hour period, with the criminals reminiscing about their time smuggling Moroccan hashish through Spain and into Ireland.

The adaptation of the book will see Domhnall Gleeson play Charlie, while Michael Fassbender is set to play Maurice. Oscar-nominee Ruth Negga is set to portray Cynthia, the brains behind the criminal misdeeds. Keith Barry will be adapting the script himself, while Oscar-winner James Marsh (Man On Wire, The Theory Of Everything) has been announced as the director.

On the project, Marsh has said the following: “Kevin’s script is a beautiful piece of writing. Underneath the dazzling surface wit and propulsive storytelling, there are surprising and very moving emotional undercurrents to be discovered. The story is built around love and tenderness amidst all the macho posturing and violence and the female characters are as strong and powerful as the men. It’s an incredibly exciting prospect.”

Night Boat To Tangiers is set to be shopped to prospective distributors in Cannes this May, so we should likely see the final film hit cinemas some time in 2024.

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