
Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey will be partially filmed in Ireland
The explosive
new epic film from award-winning director Christopher Nolan
will be partially filmed on Irish soil, according to new reports.
The Odyssey, is a classic piece of literature by Homer and is divided between 24 different books. Preceded by The Iliad, it tells the 10-year journey story of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, as he travels home after the Trojan War. The Odyssey has remained one of the most studied and adapted stories ever, but
Nolan's production
promises to bring the action to the screen like never before.
Creating
the perfect backdrop for the story
will take the production to different parts of Europe, and Ireland is on the list.
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Universal Pictures recently announced that The Odyssey will be 'shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology.'
Nolan's work has become synonymous with Imax as
Oppenheimer,
Dunkirk, and Interstellar - which was recently removed from
Netflix
- were all shot with Imax cameras.
Variety exclusively reported that The Odyssey will be partially filmed in Sicily, which is known for being a location where Odyssey roamed in the epic story. Shooting here is expected to begin as soon as this spring.
Christopher Nolan has maintained a close working relationship with Cillian Murphy over the years and said he was the first choice to play Oppenheimer
However Ireland, Scotland and the UK are also named as locations for shooting. There has been little information released about what exact locations in each country will be used for filming or what scenes will be shot on Irish soil.
Ireland is known for its dramatic landscapes, making it a top choice for many filmmakers. Some of the most successful films shot in Ireland include Saving Private Ryan, Braveheart, and two installments of the Star Wars franchise, The Force Awakens and the Last Jedi.
Christopher Nolan has a long-standing relationship with Irish actor
Cillian Murphy
, who became the first Irish person to win an Oscar for Best Actor following his role as Robert J Oppenheimer.
Nolan previously said that he loves working with Irish actors, saying that there are many
he hasn't had the chance to work with yet
. It remains unclear at this point whether Irish actors will have the chance to nab roles as extras in the Odyssey.
It has been revealed that Matt Damon will take the lead role in the project. Elliot Page and Mia Goth have been named as cast members, as well as Zendaya and Tom Holland.
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Irish Post
22 minutes ago
- Irish Post
Johnny McEvoy still singing at 80
JOHNNY McEvoy, from Banagher in Co. Offaly, has a unique place in Irish entertainment. Neither pure showband, folk, nor country, he occupies a space all of his own, somewhere between all three. And, unlike many of his contemporaries and those who followed in his footsteps, he has written much of his own material. In the early days, a lot of this was vaguely seditious: anti-war songs, protest songs—leading to frequent comparisons with Bob Dylan. Over the years, however, his songwriting developed strongly, and he can lay fair claim to having written some genuine classics: Long Before Your Time (a hit in 1976), Rich Man's Garden, You Seldom Come to See Me Anymore, and Michael, a tribute to Michael Collins. Johnny pictured at Killmainham in 1979 (Pics: Johnny McEvoy) But it was with a song of unclear origins (see panel) that Johnny scored his first hit. In 1966, he reached No. 1 in the Irish charts with the definitive version of Mursheen Durkin, instantly turning the song into an essential part of any ballad singer's repertoire. The air to which it is sung is Cailíní Deasa Mhuigheo (Pretty Girls of Mayo), a popular reel dating from the 19th century. The lyrics were added, it is believed, in the early 20th century by our old friend Anon. Whatever its origins, the song clicked with the public. But Mursheen was no overnight success—Johnny had a sackful of Irish ballads over his back. 'From the early sixties I was doing folk clubs and fleadhs. I was brought up on traditional music—I used to spend every summer at my grandmother's in Co. Galway, and I was virtually fed folk music and storytelling intravenously. It's one of the abiding memories of my childhood.' Johnny's Gaiety Show in the 1960s As Johnny reached his twenties, he fell under the influence of the wider contemporary folk scene—Hank Williams, Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan. In Ireland, the ballad scene was underway, and The Dubliners and The Clancys were beginning their steady trek to folk superstardom. It was against this background that Johnny achieved his first hit: 'In 1965 I recorded Today Is the Highway—which didn't do a lot. But the folk boom had begun, and I had a go with Mursheen a year later. It just clicked and sped up the charts. Getting to number one then was about the most exciting thing that had ever happened to me.' Two further massive hits followed—The Boston Burglar in 1967, and Nora in 1968. Johnny McEvoy was on his way—he soon had his own series on Ulster Television, played the Albert Hall and Carnegie Hall, and toured America, Ireland and Europe. 'They were great days, alright,' Johnny nods appreciatively. 'I even did a week at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin. I was the first singer to try a one-man show—and it was a roaring success.' With this background—hit records, telly shows, appearances at some of the world's greatest concert halls, plus an abundance of natural talent in writing, presenting and performing his material—the obvious question has to be asked: why isn't Johnny McEvoy today an international star of the same order as Christy Moore? Or why doesn't he sell records by the lorryload like Daniel O'Donnell? Johnny pictured in 1982 Johnny, a thoughtful man, has obviously pondered this question many times before: 'Well, paradoxically, it was the demise of the showband that really hit me. Up till then, there was a circuit of venues that could host an act like mine for forty-five minutes or so. But with the end of the showband era, and the closure of a lot of the big ballrooms, that circuit no longer existed. And it was then that I made a big tactical error. Instead of going solo as an out-and-out folk performer, I took the wrong course. 'I formed a country & Irish band and started touring what was left of the old ballrooms. I was never happy in that band—neither the material nor the format really suited me. In a way, I felt I had sold out.' But Johnny seems totally without rancour. 'Yeah, there were a lot of mistakes. At the end of the sixties there was, as they say, a time and a tide—and I didn't catch either of them. But I can't complain. I've had decades doing what I love—and I'm not finished yet; not by a long chalk!' The more lenient hours of the concert circuit mean that Johnny has time to indulge in his hobbies—particularly reading. 'I've always been especially interested in biographies and history—especially the Second World War and the American Civil War.' Evidence of this is obvious in his songwriting. His 1977 hit Leaves in the Wind is a poignant anti-war song. 'I am a committed pacifist, and have been since my twenties. And I've always stayed true to those ideals.' By the 1970s it looked like Johnny would provide much of the soundtrack for the rest of the century. That he didn't emulate the likes of The Dubliners or Christy Moore is probably due to a combination of the vagaries of the entertainment business, the fickleness of Madam Luck, and ill-judged career moves. But Johnny remains indomitable. In 2014, he recorded his first album in over ten years, Basement Sessions 1, and it broke the Top 30 in the album charts. As he said himself, 'Not bad for a folky like me.' The singer pictured in 2020 He followed that up in 2015 with Basement Sessions 2—second in a series of five studio albums to be recorded and released over a five-year period. Into the Cauldron was his third studio album, with the hit recordings of My Father's House and Every Night I Dream of Being a Cowboy. While celebrating 50 years in the business, Johnny became part of Trad Nua's exclusive limited edition The Signature Series, with the first edition of his book My Songs, My Stories, My Life in Music. In April, Johnny celebrated his 80th birthday and a career spanning 60 years. He has a brand-new album entitled Both Sides—a collection of 14 songs and six audio stories, recorded and read by Johnny. These delve into the things that are important to him. 'I may not always have stayed true to my music,' he concludes, 'but I've always stayed true to myself.' Mursheen—a music hall song or folk tradition? MURSHEEN DURKIN could be a product of the Irish folk tradition — or a relic of the 19th-century music hall. Like many popular ballads, its history is somewhat murky. Some scholars trace its roots to the stage: a comic music hall song from the 1880s titled Digging for Lumps of Gold, penned by English songwriter Felix McGlennon, shares a strikingly similar storyline — right down to the Irish emigrant heading west in search of riches. A dispute even arose in 1885 when McGlennon sought damages after the song was performed without permission in a Gravesend music hall, allegedly by Irish comedian Pat Harvey. That version features a character named Corny (or Carney), lending weight to the idea that the stage may have shaped what we now recognise as Muirsheen Durkin. On the other hand, the tune has been collected and preserved within Irish folk tradition. It appeared in Colm Ó Lochlainn's More Irish Street Ballads in the 1960s and is often sung to the air of Cailíní deasa Mhuigheo (The Pretty Girls of Mayo), a traditional Irish reel from the 19th century. This gives the song strong roots in oral transmission and suggests it may have evolved as a folk pastiche of existing melodies and emigration themes. See More: Irish, Johnny McEvoy, Singer


The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Major blow as ANOTHER popular Ryanair flight to top destination scrapped as busy season kicks off
RYANAIR has scrapped flights to another popular European destination over "sky-high" charges. The 1 Ryanair has stopped flying to a popular Dutch airport Credit: Getty Starting October 26, Ryanair will cancel every route it operates from They have said Maastricht is one of the most pricey airports in Europe, and the charges could harm air travel connections in the Netherlands. Back in 2021, Maastricht introduced an environmental tax that charges Ryanair with nearly €30 for each passenger flying out. And this tax has been in place in other major READ MORE IN TRAVEL This has led Ryanair to also cut the number of flights - including those to Alicante, Bari, Girona, Porto, and Zadar which wipes out around 150,000 seats each year. Jason McGuinness, Ryanair's Chief Commercial Officer said the taxes at Maastricht have skyrocketed by 275 percent in just four years. He said: 'Ryanair continues to grow traffic - this year from 200m to 206m - by offering unbeatable low fares to customers across Europe at airports that have low access costs. "Maastricht's sky-high costs are damaging its connectivity. Most read in News Travel 'It is evidenced by the Airport's failure to recover its traffic post-Covid, lagging far behind the rest of Europe at just 50 per cent of pre-Covid traffic in 2024." Earlier this year, the budget airline trimmed summer flights in 'It's very important' - Ryanair's 'baggage sizers' warning to Irish passengers ahead of busy Easter break amid €75 fine Similarly, the airline pulled all flights to and from Aalborg after Denmark introduced a €6.70 passenger fee, which airlines are required to cover. Ryanair called the tax 'harmful' and said it forced them to scrap flights to major This move means Ryanair is losing around 1.7 million seats and closing several routes in Denmark. And back in September 2023, they pulled 17 routes for the winter season, blaming a 45 per cent hike in passenger charges at Dublin Airport. They also moved their special eco-friendly 'Gamechanger' planes to other airports that offer better deals. Then in September 2024, Ryanair said it would cut another 14 routes due to a passenger cap at Some of the routes cut included places like Asturias, Castellón, and Santiago in Spain, plus airports in Denmark, the UK, France, Italy, Austria, Slovakia, Germany, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Romania and Poland. ROUTES CUT And just this week, Ryanair decided to suspend its flights to Tel Aviv due to ongoing security concerns and instability in the region. The airline had briefly resumed operations in the past month, but recent security issues due to the war in CEO Michael O'Leary stated that safety remains the top priority and that conditions in the area no longer support regular flight operations. He said: "I think we're running out of patience too with Israel… flights to and from Tel Aviv. "If they're going to keep being disrupted by these security disruptions, frankly, we'd be better off sending those aircraft somewhere else in Europe."


Irish Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
RTE to host talent show which pairs up local musicians with well-known artists
RTE are set to air a new talent show that will pair up-and-coming musicians with known Irish artists, helping them organise and perform their first gig, in their hometown. An Ghig Mhór will air from Monday 9 June, 8pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player. In each episode, a renowned Irish musician mentors an up-and-coming band and helps them to organise their first big gig in their hometown. From the sitting room to the stage, the series follows the bands as they attempt to find a venue, sell tickets and deliver the performance of a lifetime. An Ghig Mhór provides a platform to new emerging Irish bands and shines a light on the hard work, creativity and dedication that goes into putting on your own gig. From Donegal to Kilkenny, the series showcases a different town and band each week. Folk singer John Spillane will share his expertise with The Donny's, a five-piece rock band from Kilkenny. Singer-songwriter Eve Belle from Gaoth Dobhair, Donegal will work with fellow Gaoth Dobhair singer Hannah Mc Fadden, and her band Hannah B. Kíla's Rónán Ó Snodaigh will mentor band Leevy from the Múscraí Gaeltacht in Cork, who perform a unique blend of folk-rock and punk with traditional Irish undertones. Krea, a former member of Wyvern Lingo will guide all-female punk rockers The Hex from Lexlip, Kildare. Hip-hop duo Tebi Rex will mentor Conamara rock band Na hEasógaí. The band fuse their own sean nós Conamara style with rock and contemporary influences. Finally, singer and guitarist Síomha will advise Coolboy, a four-piece rock band from Laois. Each band has their own unique sound and performs in English and Irish. Every band wants to headline Slane, or sell-out Croke Park, but the first step on that ladder is performing your first big gig in your hometown. An Ghig Mhór offers a platform to the next generation of Irish musical talent, with their mentors, family, friends and their home communities encouraging them every step of the way.