Production has wrapped on Michael Flatley’s directorial debut – ‘Blackbird’, and will mark Flatley’s first venture into film as he makes his first feature length appearance as an actor and director.
Flatley, who is an internationally acclaimed Irish dancing, most famously known for ‘Riverdance’ and his own ‘Lord of the Dance’ production, retired from the sport in 2015. Since then, the dancer has recently signed with the LA-based Creative Agency CAA for worldwide representation last year.
Flatley has featured on two short films prior to beginning work on his current project ‘Blackbird’, which is funded, directed & starring the Irish dancing legend.
The film, which has been shot across a number of locations including Ireland, England, and most notably Barbados, includes some well known faces such as Patrick Bergin (‘Sleeping with the enemy’), Ian Beattie (‘Game of Thrones’), and Eric Roberts (‘Runaway Train’, ‘Inherent Vice’).
The film will see Flatley play a veteran secret operative who moves to Barbados to enjoy his retirement, only for it to be interrupted when a well known international arms dealer (Eric Roberts) appears on the island.
The project is being produced by Richard Bolger of Irish-based Five Knight Films, whose recent credits include Irish box office hit ‘Cardboard Gangsters’. Other production companies such as West One Entertainment, Parachute Films, and Dancelord Pictures are also involved.
No release date has been announce as of yet, but early reports suggest the film will be released in the Autumn of this year.