Yahoo Movies Steve Coogan lands next lead movie role in real-life Irish drama
Steve Coogan has landed his next lead movie role in real-life Irish drama Saipan.
Directed by award-winning filmmakers Lisa Barros D'Sa and Glenn Leyburn, the film will depict the events leading up to Ireland's football World Cup campaign in 2002.
The Saipan incident was a public argument between team captain Roy Keane and manager Mick McCarthy, which took place while the team were preparing for the tournament in Japan.
The disagreement resulted in Keane being sent home from the squad, a decision that divided public opinion across Ireland.
Related: The Reckoning's Steve Coogan cast in another true story drama
The fallout between the pair and the media storm that followed will be the main focus of the movie, which has been written by Paul Fraser.
Coogan is set to play McCarthy, with The Sixth Commandment's Éanna Hardwicke on board to play Keane.
Production is set to begin this summer across Ireland and Saipan, with a theatrical release expected in summer 2025.
D'Sa and Leyburn said in a statement: "We're thrilled to be working with this extraordinary cast and creative team to tell the story of an infamous moment in Irish and football history that drew battle lines across a nation, cast its hopes, dreams and sense of identity into disarray, and briefly made a tiny volcanic island in the Pacific one of the most famous places on earth."
Related: Alan Partridge's BBC return gets first look as filming starts
As for Coogan, the actor has also joined the star-studded cast of The Sandman as it returns for a second series on Netflix.
Based on the comic book by Neil Gaiman, the series first came to our screens in 2022, becoming an instant hit. It was renewed for another season just three months after its premiere on the streaming service.
According to Tudum, the I'm Alan Partridge star will play Barnabas, the canine companion of the Endless's Prodigal brother.
He joins a host of new names, including Game of Thrones stars Jack Gleeson and Clive Russell, Slow Horses' Freddie Fox, The Nevers' Ann Skelly and Douglas Booth.
Saipan is expected to be released in summer 2025.
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