Lassie movie to start shooting in Dublin, Wicklow
The new Lassie film starring legendary actor Peter O’Toole and Samantha Morton is to begin shooting in Dublin and Wicklow tomorrow.
The cast, including O’Toole renowned for his part in Lawrence of Arabia, Morton and Peter Dinklage, have been preparing for the six-week shoot in locations across Wicklow, Dublin and the Isle of Man.
Director Charles Sturridge also wrote the script which was based on Eric Knight’s classic 1938 novel ‘Lassie Come Home’.
Ireland was chosen as the prime shooting destination with the filmmakers availing of the tax incentive, Section 481, for filming on locations around the country.
The new film is set on the eve of World War II in a Yorkshire mining town, where the Carraclough family fall on hard times and are forced to sell their plucky collie, Lassie, to the Duke of Rudling.
Lassie is determined to return home despite being taken 500 miles away. The feel-good movie sees Lassie confronting danger and seeking help from strangers as she makes her way home in time for Christmas.
The film on the world’s most famous dog will be produced by Ireland’s Element Films, producers of Omagh and The Magdalene Sisters, Firstsight Films and Classic Media.
The cast includes the seven-time Academy Award nominee O’Toole as the Duke of Rudling, Morton from Minority Report as Sarah Carraclough and Peter Dinklage as Rowlie. Some of the other cast includes Steve Pemberton from the League of Gentlemen, John Lynch, Jemma Redgrave and Gregor Fisher.
The dog became a firm favourite with audiences from the first film, Lassie Come Home, in 1943 starring Elizabeth Taylor and Roddy McDowall.
Around 10 feature films followed on the adventures of the plucky collie as well as 675 half-hour television episodes.
The two-time Emmy Award winning TV series was one of the longest running programmes in television history.
Deals to distribute the film have already been made in many places including the UK, Japan, Taiwan, Turkey, Eastern Europe, Middle East, Israel and Greece.
