Actors Colin Farrell and Domhnall Gleeson have joined the cast of Bad Bridgets, Netflix’s upcoming film from Kneecap writer and director Rich Peppiatt.
The film has also added Irish actors Niamh Algar and Simone Kirby to its cast. They will star alongside Emilia Jones and Irish actress Alison Oliver, whose casting the producers announced earlier.
Steve Coogan, Charlie Heaton and Himesh Patel have also joined the project. The production will begin filming in Ireland and Northern Ireland in mid-July.
Bad Bridgets tells the story of a young Irish woman in 19th-century New York. A mysterious letter offers her a chance to escape her circumstances. She then enters the turbulent world of a group of Irish women known as the Bridgets.
Rich Peppiatt will write, direct and produce the film. LuckyChap and Coup d’Etat are producing the project.
The filmmakers developed the project with support from Queen’s University Belfast and Northern Ireland Screen.
The story draws inspiration from the Bad Bridget research project by historians Elaine Farrell and Leanne McCormick. The researchers later expanded their work into the book Bad Bridget: Crime, Mayhem and the Lives of Irish Emigrant Women.
The research examines the lives of Irish women who emigrated to North America during the 19th and early 20th centuries, including many who became involved with the criminal justice system.
Colin Farrell earned an Academy Award nomination for The Banshees of Inisherin. Domhnall Gleeson is known for films including Ex Machina and About Time. Niamh Algar gained recognition through Calm With Horses and Censor, while Simone Kirby previously appeared in Peppiatt’s Oscar-shortlisted film Kneecap.
Netflix has not announced the characters or confirmed a release date for Bad Bridgets.
