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RTÉ News
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Domhnall Gleeson is an Irish billionaire in new adventure Fountain of Youth
Domhnall Gleeson has told RTÉ Entertainment that Guy Ritchie had a surprise for him when he cast the Dubliner in his new adventure Fountain of Youth. The movie sees John Krasinski and Natalie Portman play adventurer Luke and art historian Charlotte, estranged siblings who reunite to find "the most important archaeological discovery in history". Gleeson's character Owen is the Irish billionaire bankrolling the search, and Eiza González plays Esme, the mysterious agent out to stop them. When Gleeson was asked by RTÉ Entertainment whether his character Owen was originally Irish in the script or if it was something that he suggested to Ritchie, he replied: "No, it was something Guy Ritchie said to me! It was the other way round! I was talking to a dialect coach, I was going to do American, and I heard, 'Guy wants you to play it Irish'. And I was like, 'Can I talk to Guy about it?', and they were like, 'Not really! Guy is off doing something else!' So he just turned up on set and was like, 'No, I like Irish'. And actually, I'm really happy. It was a good call from him, I thought." Fountain of Youth has plenty of twists and turns, but both Gleeson and co-star Eiza González laughed off the suggestion that they read the last couple of pages first to make sure they were still alive at the end of the film. "No, I think you read it in order - but you're definitely paying a lot of attention for the last few pages, for sure!" smiled Gleeson. "'Is this a one-picture deal or a three-picture deal? What are we looking at?!'"
RTÉ News
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
EMMY on Eurovision: 'I was so grateful to be there'
EMMY has been reflecting on her semi-final exit from the Eurovision Song Contest, admitting her disappointment but also the joy she felt as she got to 'fulfil my childhood dream'. The 24-year-old Norwegian represented Ireland in last Thursday's second semi-finall with her song Laika Party and the feeling was that she had an excellent chance of making it through to Saturday's Grand Final in Basel - but it wasn't to be. When Greece was announced as the final qualifier, it meant the end of the Eurovision road for Irish hopes this year - but EMMY had mixed emotions in the aftermath when she spoke to RTÉ Entertainment a day later. "There's so many emotions! I'll be disappointed - but very happy as I got to fulfil my childhood dream," she said, acknowledging the fact that performing at the Eurovision had been something of a lifelong goal. "We were very happy with the performance,," she added, before notiung that, in the days leading up to Thursday's wemi-final, she had been getting very positive reactions to Laika Party. "It's a bit weird," ahe admitted, "because we had been told that – at the pre parties and performances – we had the song that most people sang along to, and stuff like that. So I don't know [what went wrong] and will never know if we would've qualified if we were in the first semi-final. "We had an extra country to compete against – and it was a very, very strong semi-final. I thought the first semi-final was very strong too, but we'll never know what might have happened." It's never fun to lose out on occasions such as this, but EMMY is far from embittered by her experience. It was emotional, but the tears only came when she realised that her Eurovision experience had ended. "At first I didn't [cry]," she recalled. "Because, even though the people around me and the team said we would qualify, I am never – I'm not that confident about myself or what I do. "'Oh, we're gonna go through!' I'm not like that. I was always unsure. But then, when I realised it was all over, I cried. There were so many emotions going on, you know? "It was a childhood dream that we've had for 16 years – and it was very strange." She also refused to play the blame game and use the fact that Ireland is a small country with a fraction of the budget some otrghere countries might have as some sort of excuse for failing to make the cut. She just doesn't do sour grapes. "I would be happy with the staging, the costumes, the team," she insisted. "I think it was perfect. Exactly my vision and beyond. On the night, she had mixed emotions before going on stage in front of a massive global audience. "I was very, very excited and nervous. But there was this moment when I knew that, okay, this is the moment you have been dreaming about since you were seven years old. "So I was just so grateful to be there." Obviously, the mental and emotional dust needs to setlle before EMMY can look at her next musical steps, or whether she would entertain competing in the Eurovision Song Contest again. But she didn't rule it out. "I think, maybe when I've landed a bit and understand that this actually happened, maybe I would try to go again in the future. "I don't know," she admits. "It's very difficult. You don't really choose to go again. People have to choose you. But I'm grateful." And as for who she's like to see win on Saturday, EMMY was emphatic: "Iceland! I really like that song." What's next for her is a trip back home to Norway to be with loved ones for a well-deserved break. "We're planning a family road trip," she said. "I'm looking forward to seeing my grandparents again."
RTÉ News
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
EMMY's boyfriend Tommy to cheer her on at Eurovision
Ireland's Eurovision Song Contest hopeful EMMY will have some very important support in the audience in Basel this Thursday when she takes to the stage for the contest's second semi-final - her boyfriend Tommy Kittelsen. 24-year-old Norwegian singer-songwriter EMMY, whose full name is Emmy Kristine Guttulsrud Kristiansen, is set to perform her catchy electropop track, Laika Party, as the third song of the night at Basel's St Jakobshalle this Thursday. And as well as her family and friends, her boyfriend of over seven years will be cheering her on. Speaking to RTÉ Entertainment via Zoom from Basel, the unfailingly upbeat and chirpy singer said, "My boyfriend arrived here yesterday so he is here for the whole week with us. Yay! "We have been together seven and a half years. He works in finance in Norway. He thinks me being at Eurovision is really cool. He watched Eurosong at home earlier this year and he was shouting `EMMY got in! EMMY got in!' He is so happy for me!" EMMY, who hails from the small village of Sande, south of the Norwegian capital of Oslo, faces into Thursday fully aware that she is under extra pressure after Ireland made it through to the Eurovision semi-final stages for the first time in years in 2024 with Bambie Thug in Malmö, Sweden. "In one way, yes, I do feel pressure but I feel that the Irish people have welcomed us so much and have been so supportive," she said. "The nerves are good now but every time I'm at the arena, it's starting to get real. "The rehearsals have been going good - we did some changes after the first rehearsal because one of the props was very big so we changed some of my choreography and my placement on stage." Laika Party tells the story of a Soviet space dog and was born at a songwriting camp in EMMY's homeland, organised by the MGP - the body behind Norway's Eurovision selection. It was there she met Kilbeggan-based songwriter Larissa Tormey, who co-wrote this year's Irish entry alongside EMMY and a team of Norwegian songwriters. EMMY's career began in 2015 when, as a 15-year-old, she participated in Melodi Grand Prix Junior - one of the biggest music competitions in Norway for children. Six years later, in 2021, she participated in Melodi Grand Prix, Norway's national selection of a song for Eurovision Song Contest, performing Witch Woods. Bookmakers currently favour Sweden to win the overall contest this Saturday night, with their entry compared to a Swedish version of Gangnam Style. France, Austria, Israel and Belgium round out the early favourites. Speaking about making it through on Thursday and qualifying for Saturday night, EMMY said, "I am very grateful and happy to be here. My only goal is to make Ireland proud so, of course, I'd love to get to the final to make you proud. I am very, very grateful just to be here." The 2025 contest follows a turbulent Eurovision in Malmö, which was marked by artist protests and political tensions over Israel's participation amid the on-going war in Gaza. This year's event is taking place under heavy security, with around 1,300 Swiss police supported by federal forces and reinforcements from Germany and France. Authorities have warned of possible terror or cyber-attacks and are monitoring planned protests amid controversy over the war in Gaza. There have already been reports of tension on the Eurovision turquoise carpet in Basel this year. "We didn't really have that experience," EMMY said. "We had a lot of lovely people cheering us on. The turquoise carpet for me was very, very lovely." Asked about her opinion on Israel's participation in the contest, EMMY said, "It is a difficult one. I think my most important task as singer songwriter is to spread as much joy and comfort as I can, especially in hard times so that's why I think Eurovision is important even in times like these." The EBU has introduced a new code of conduct for 2025, pledging to protect artists' wellbeing. Despite this, protests are expected in Basel this week, with more planned for the city centre on Saturday. "I feel secure every time I am in the arena and the other delegations I have met have been lovely," EMMY said. "It was very, very good and we felt secure." The Eurovision Song Contest Semi-Finals take place on 13 and 15 May and will be shown live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player from 8pm. The Grand Final takes place on Saturday, 17 May, and will be shown live on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player from 8pm.
RTÉ News
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
'Silver, space and a rocket': EMMY ready for Eurovision take-off
It's all about "silver, space and a rocket" for Ireland's Eurovision entry EMMY as she prepares for take-off in Basel, Switzerland, later this week for the second song contest semi-final. The 24-year-old singer-songwriter from the small village of Sande, south of the Norwegian capital of Oslo, is set to perform her catchy electropop track, Laika Party, as the third song of the night at St Jakobshalle on Thursday, 15 May. Backed by her brother, Erlend Guttulsrud Kristiansen, and dancers Vilde Skorstad, Karin Aaeng Stuge, Kristiane Lindvik, and Christiane Bergersen, the singer, whose real name is Emmy Kristine Guttulsrud Kristiansen, said her team are "so grateful for the support". Watch: EMMY brings Laika Party to Trinity College "I'm feeling more Irish every day now. Whenever I hear an Irish accent, I feel at home," she told RTÉ Entertainment. The high-energy intergalactic earworm, which tells the story of a Soviet space dog, was born at a songwriting camp in EMMY's homeland, organised by the MGP - the body behind Norway's Eurovision selection. It was there she met Kilbeggan-based songwriter Larissa Tormey, who co-wrote this year's Irish entry alongside EMMY and a team of Norwegian songwriters. "It was the biggest song-writing camp I've ever been to. It was huge. About 120 songs combined were written. It was so cool," she explained. "I'm so glad Larissa [Tormey] was there and this happened. It was a lucky moment," EMMY added. EMMY's career blasted off in 2015 when she as a 15-year-old and participated in Melodi Grand Prix Junior - one of the biggest music competitions in her country for children. Six years later, in 2021, she participated in Melodi Grand Prix, Norway's national selection of a song for Eurovision Song Contest performing Witch Woods. Speaking of last year's Irish entrant, Bambie Thug, flew ouija-pop into Malmö, EMMY hopes for an equally smooth landing in Basel. Asked what fans can expect from her stage production and costume, she said without hesitation: "Silver, space and a rocket!" When it comes to amassing social media followers, EMMY's stats are out-of-this-world. With 1.2 million eyeballs on TikTok (and counting), she is every talent agencies' dream. "I started off as a TikToker that posted cover songs. Now the content has changed to be more about Eurovision," she laughed. Beaming with pride as she opens up about her family, EMMY said "they are so excited for us" while revealing Irish pop duo Jedward - made up of twins John and Edward Grimes - remain firm Eurovision favourites among her clan. "Some of the family will be coming with us to Basel and some will be staying at home cheering for us on TV, which is great because I'll also have a support system to come home to when I get off the plane." Opening up about her earliest Eurovision memories, she recalled, "The first year I really remember watching it was 2008. I was almost eight years old. Every year since I've watched it with my family and I have amazing, beautiful memories. Jedward with Lipstick in 2011 is one of my earliest memories of Eurovision. It really was iconic!". When it comes to this year's competition, Emmy says she can't stop listening to four songs on repeat - Run With U performed by the band Mamagama (Azerbaijan), RÓA by the duo VÆB (Iceland), JJ with Wasted Love (Austria) and KAJ with Bara bada bastu (Sweden). EMMY is no stranger to the Eurovision world but there's no denying that this is far more than a competition to her. "This is a childhood dream that I never, ever thought would come true, and now it's happening," she enthused. Parting ways with her hopes for what's to come over the next few days, EMMY shared, "My only two goals for Eurovision are to try my best and to make Ireland proud." Little does she know her mission has already been accomplished. The Eurovision Song Contest Semi-Finals take place on 13 and 15 May, and will be shown live on RTÉ 2 and RTÉ Player from 8pm. The Grand Final takes place on Saturday, 17 May, and will be shown live on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player from 8pm.
RTÉ News
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Amongst the Wolves director Mark O'Connor picks the must-see crime films that you may not have seen
"There's been a lot of films that have had an influence on me," says director Mark O'Connor by way of understatement as he sees his latest, Amongst the Wolves, arrive in cinemas. Watch: The trailer for Amongst the Wolves. The Dubliner joins RTÉ Entertainment via Zoom to pick the crime movies that have shaped his work but that he feels have been overlooked by a new generation - or are still stuck on the to-see lists of older viewers. " Bicycle Thieves was a huge film, but that's a different genre," the Cardboard Gangsters director continues as he lists off his influences. "The French New Wave, Italian neo-realism, and British cinema of Alan Clarke, Ken Loach's films. Films like Saturday Night and Sunday Morning - massive influence, love that film. So believable, so realistic. And then, of course, Shane Meadows's movies in the UK like This Is England and A Room for Romeo Brass." But with time tight (and a gun to his head), O'Connor picks these films from the crime genre: City of God (Fernando Meirelles, Kátia Lund, 2002) "You need more than guts to be a good gangster. You need ideas." The slums of Rio de Janeiro are the setting for this quadruple-Oscar-nominated tour de force. And when you get your breath back, there's a spin-off series and film - both called City of Men. Mark O'Connor: When City of God came out, it had a big impact on me. The way it was directed, the way it was shot, the pacing. It was very fast and energetic, and I loved that. It was so real, like, so believable. I know they cast kids from the favelas for that, some of them were involved in different stuff. That film definitely had an influence on me as a filmmaker. The Long Good Friday (John Mackenzie, 1980) "It's my manor!" Bob Hoskins's big-screen breakout gave the crime genre one of its most iconic characters in Harold Shand, the London mobster whose empire comes crashing down over an Easter weekend. Helen Mirren is superb as Shand's other half, Victoria, and a young Pierce Brosnan makes his big-screen debut. Forty-five years on, The Long Good Friday's ending still ranks with cinema's best. Mark O'Connor: I think it's overlooked! Bob Hoskins's performance is amazing. It's so powerful, and it's just a real old-school crime film, like, classy crime film. It feels dated but in a good way. There's a big Irish connection in it with Pierce Brosnan at the end. And it's a great shot at the end, that last shot... The camera picks up so much, I've come to realise that over the years. The smallest details really, really matter. "You don't make up for your sins in church. You do it in the streets." The film that announced Martin Scorsese to the wider world was also a portent of what was to come from Robert De Niro - burning up the screen here as loose(est) cannon John 'Johnny Boy' Civello. Harvey Keitel plays Charlie Cappa, the mob protégé torn between the demands of his boss Uncle Giovanni (Cesare Danova), his feelings for his epileptic girlfriend Teresa (Amy Robinson), and his bond with childhood pal Johnny Boy. Mark O'Connor: I don't think that many people have seen it. Obviously, cinephiles and film people would have seen it, but that would be a definite one [that deserves a wider audience]. It's the mafia on the street level and just so Italian. I actually think it's probably Scorsese's most authentic film. Goodfellas is incredible, but I just think with Mean Streets there's an element of truth there that's just entwined in it. You can't replicate that unless you've lived in Little Italy. An unbelievable performance from De Niro. He's so wild and just raw - and unhinged! White Heat (Raoul Walsh, 1949) "Made it, Ma! Top of the world!" White Heat marked James Cagney's return to Warner Bros after going out on his own - and he was back with a bang! Shamefully overlooked for an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, Cagney's performance as mammy-obsessed psychotic gangster Arthur 'Cody' Jarrett has influenced countless others in the decades since. Need another reason? Well, White Heat also has two of the best scenes in cinema history. Mark O'Connor: I was a big fan of the black-and-white gangster films. I used to have loads of VHS tapes and I had all those films. But if I was to choose one, you'd have to say White Heat. It's brilliant - Cody's relationship with his mother and everything. And that ending... Imagine if that was nowadays with the proper colour and sound?! James Cagney was an amazing actor. Humphrey Bogart was an amazing actor in his own way as well. He was such a smart and intelligent actor, but Cagney was the raw kind. La Haine (Mathieu Kassovitz, 1995) "How you fall doesn't matter, it's how you land." The landmark French movie that saw writer-director Mathieu Kassovitz win Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival also set a new standard in urban storytelling. La Haine (Hatred) follows pals Vinz (Vincent Cassel), Hubert (Hubert Koundé), and Saïd (Saïd Taghmaoui) over a day and night as the hand of fate guides them to an unforgettable conclusion. Mark O'Connor: It's quite well known, but then again, it's not well known! It's 30 years ago and a lot of people nowadays wouldn't know it. Again, any film person's going to know it. That had a big influence on me. It was the performances - Vincent Cassel, it was him. I just thought he was amazing in that. He was kind of like a cardboard gangster in a way. I know myself and John Connors, that was a big influence on us when we talked about Cardboard Gangsters. I think the cinematography is really good in it. It's a very structured film in terms of the framing. It's not like Mean Streets, which is just kind of wild and loose and handheld. There are some amazing shots in there - the trumpet shot where they're standing on the balcony where you track in and you zoom out. The music as well, the whole hip-hop thing, was brilliant. And then the riots as a backdrop - love that. I love when you have a backdrop to a movie, something else going on in the background. Dead Presidents (The Hughes Brothers, 1995) "Well, that's Uncle Sam for you, baby. Money to burn." After their blistering debut Menace II Society, brothers Albert and Allen Hughes aimed for the epic with their next film. It's the story of Anthony Curtis (Menace II Society star Larenz Tate) who leaves Brooklyn for a tour of duty in Vietnam and then sees all the dominoes fall when he comes home. A great supporting cast includes Keith David, Chris Tucker, N'Bushe Wright, and future Sopranos stars Michael Imperioli and Tony Sirico. Mark O'Connor: Menace II Society is a brilliant film, but Dead Presidents is amazing. That's one that people need to see and I think that's probably a better film than Menace II Society. The soundtrack is amazing; it's got this soul vibe and funky grooves from the Seventies. Menace II Society was so raw and I think it sparked a lot of the other ones (movies), but I prefer probably Dead Presidents, just for the authenticity in some way. "I like the stink of the streets. It makes me feel good." Sergio Leone's final film is also the last part of his Once Upon a Time Trilogy, after Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) and Duck, You Sucker! (1971). Based on the Harry Grey novel The Hoods, it charts decades of US history through the lives of David 'Noodles' Aaronson (Robert De Niro) and Maximilian 'Max' Bercovicz (James Woods) - corner boys who become kingpins. Leone's original version was 269 minutes long. A 229-minute version was shown at Cannes in 1984 with a restored 251-minute version screening at the festival in 2012. Because of rights issues, the wait for the original 269-minute version continues to this day. Whatever you do, make sure you don't watch the hacked 139-minute version that was released in the US in 1984. Mark O'Connor: It's pretty well known, but I don't think that many people think of it [compared to The Godfather ]. Once Upon a Time in America is so epic and so nostalgic as well, there's something so incredibly powerful [about that]. It's about time and it's really sad. You're seeing De Niro's character's life flash before his eyes. He looks back on when he was a kid and now it's all gone - he's a very old man. There's something about time with me as well, it's just so tragic in some way. I find it hard to look at old photographs of my kids because I just get so nostalgic and sad. Looking back at my own films? Ah, I don't care about them! As he signs out of one Zoom interview to go to another, O'Connor says of his latest, Amongst the Wolves: "We made it for 16 grand and we're getting a release all around Ireland. It's going to be opening in the cinemas in America as well. It's so amazing for the cast and crew. Our producer, Jeff O'Toole, put the 16 grand in. [I was] Pulling in massive favours, cast and crew that were just so, so giving of their time. We wrote it in six months, shot it in 15 days, post-production two months. We had it done in less than a year. Sometimes you can literally spend three years on developing a script and it gets very, very frustrating where you're trying to find finance. We just said, 'Let's go and do this!'"
