When Vertigo Releasing and Wildcard unveiled the official poster and full trailer for SAIPAN, they weren’t just promoting another sports movie—they were reigniting one of football’s most explosive controversies. This isn’t a film about triumph on the pitch or underdog victories; it’s a raw examination of ego, standards, and the devastating collision between two men whose mutual contempt became bigger than the beautiful game itself.
At the heart of SAIPAN lies the infamous 2002 FIFA World Cup confrontation that shook Irish football to its core. Roy Keane, the Republic of Ireland’s legendary captain portrayed by BAFTA-nominated Éanna Hardwicke, and national team manager Mick McCarthy, brought to life by two-time Academy Award nominee Steve Coogan, found themselves locked in a battle that transcended tactical disagreements and crossed into deeply personal territory. What began as preparation for Ireland’s World Cup campaign in Japan and South Korea spiraled into what the film bills as one of the most fractious falling-outs in sporting history, a moment that gripped not just a nation but the entire sporting world.
Award-winning filmmakers Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn, known for their work on GOOD VIBRATIONS and ORDINARY LOVE, have taken on the challenge of bringing this incendiary story to the screen. Working from an original script by Paul Fraser, whose credits include HEARTLANDS and A ROOM FOR ROMEO BRASS, they’ve crafted what promises to be the definitive account of a feud that was ostensibly about professional standards but revealed itself to be something far more visceral. This was two strong personalities whose rivalry became so consuming that it ultimately surpassed their shared love of football, leaving careers damaged and a nation divided in its loyalties.
The supporting cast amplifies the drama with Alice Lowe from SIGHTSEERS, Jamie Beamish of DERRY GIRLS fame, Alex Murphy known for THE YOUNG OFFENDERS, Harriet Cains from BRIDGERTON, and Peter McDonald who appeared in THE BATMAN. Their presence suggests a film that understands this wasn’t just about two men in a room—it was about the ripple effects of conflict, the teammates caught in the crossfire, and the wider Irish community watching their World Cup dreams threatened by internal combustion. SAIPAN promises to be thrilling not because of what happened on the football field, but because of the human drama that nearly derailed everything before a single match was played.
When Emerald Fennell texted @alisonjoliver about joining WUTHERING HEIGHTS, the answer was immediate: yes.
"I just love her so much that I would do anything she was doing," Oliver says about reuniting with Fennell after SALTBURN.
The film is now in theatres, more at irishfilmtv.com.
Barry Keoghan has arrived.
The Dublin actor who made us unable to look away in SALTBURN is now going head-to-head with Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, and Halle Berry in CRIME 101 — and he`s not just keeping up, he`s stealing scenes.
This isn`t just another role—this is Keoghan proving he belongs among Hollywood`s heaviest hitters, taking his Love/Hate juice straight to LA and reminding everyone that sometimes the hungriest actor in the room is the most dangerous one.
More Barry at irishfilmtv.com.
One man. Eight characters. Pure theatrical magic. ✨
Andrew Scott`s VANYA won Best Play Revival at the WhatsOnStage Awards after its triumphant West End run at the Duke of York`s Theatre and now tops the list of best one-man shows of recent times.
More Andrew at irishfilmtv.com.
HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN FROM BELFAST drops Feb 12 on Netflix.
DERRY GIRLS star Saoirse Monica Jackson has been talking about the new series and her excitement is absolutely contagious.
Landing on Galentine`s Day feels perfect for this kind of ladies-celebrating-ladies energy.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
Jamie Dornan is about to make you forget every role you thought defined him.
THE WORST, a pitch-black British comedy, casts him as Danny, a talent agent so pathologically addicted to self-promotion that he can`t stop name-dropping even as the dinner party around him combusts into spectacular social carnage.
More Jamie at irishfilmtv.com.
The awards season darling you`ve been hearing about is finally streaming.
Chloé Zhao`s HAMNET—the haunting exploration of grief, love, and the creation of Shakespeare`s HAMLET—brings together Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley in performances that have kept both firmly in the Oscar conversation.
If you missed it theatrically, now`s your chance to see what the buzz is about before Oscar night. This is the kind of film that reminds you why cinema matters.
More HAMNET at irishfilmtv.com.
Taylor Swift just dropped the OPALITE music video and it`s giving major Irish vibes ☘️✨
The nearly 6-minute visual sees Domhnall Gleeson starring as Taylor`s love interest, playing two lonely souls who find each other. But here`s where it gets even better: eagle-eyed Swifties spotted cameos from Cillian Murphy and Graham Norton, making this a full-on Irish affair.
Want the full breakdown of this transatlantic collaboration? Head to our blog for all the details on how this stunning video came together. Link in bio! 🔗
The creator of DERRY GIRLS just dropped a murder mystery set at an Irish wake, and honestly? It`s the genre mashup we didn`t know we needed 🕵️♀️
Lisa McGee is back with HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN FROM BELFAST on Netflix, and if you loved how she found humor in the Troubles (Protestants! Toasters! Cupboards!), you`re going to eat this up.
Three friends reunite for their childhood bestie`s funeral, only to realize her death isn`t what it seems. Cue an eerie adventure across Ireland that`s equal parts creepy and hilarious.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
British Vogue just put Jessie Buckley on their February cover and it`s not just a magazine shoot—it`s a coronation.
Shot by Jack Davison on the windswept Norfolk coast near her home, these images are pure cinema. Sky, sea, and a woman at the exact moment her entire life is about to change.
She`s the frontrunner for Best Actress. HAMNET is destroying audiences. She`s a new mother standing at the edge of the kind of fame that alters everything.
And Vogue captured it all—the grit, the greatness, the quiet mastery that got her here.
More Jessie at irishfilmtv.com.
