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Dec 2 15 8:48 AM
Official Announcement from the film’s producer relating to the delivery schedule of ‘The Rising'
“Back in 2012, I set out to develop a low budget dramatic movie about the 1916 Easter Rising rebellion to coincide with the 100-year anniversary. At the time, there were some other 1916 movies in the pipeline and the subject of Seán MacDiarmada appealled to me as I come from the same region of Ireland. When I researched and wrote an initial film treatment, I began to feel a sense of duty to tell the story of this ‘unsung hero’ to the world and became convinced it was worth every effort. (I still believe that) Having secured some state and private finance in 2013, a first draft script was written and a small team was assembled to develop the project involving social media.
Having secured the support of the Irish Film Board (Dublin) and Northern Ireland Screen (Belfast), a further draft of the script was written, which has attracted a superb and talented cast. Last year, decisions were made to upscale the movie and raise more finance through private investors and this has changed the schedule for delivery. What started off as an important cultural project has developed into significant movie event for Ireland and we are fortunate to have a number of financial and production options open to us.
You will have read recently that we considered dropping the project because of continuing difficulty in securing sufficient private investment. Having consulted with film industry peers, it is unanimously accepted that HOW the film is made is more important than WHEN the film is released. So we announced that we would continue to our goal. A well-produced film with an all-star cast released in late 2016 or 2017 stands a better chance of success than a lower budget film released for the anniversary. Our financiers are enthused that ‘The Rising’ is now the only motion picture about the rebellion still in the works and backs this course of action. The market will hear all about the 1916 rebellion over the next 6 months, and there are some TV drama and documentaries due for release. Also, we are advised to complete negotiations with certain actors for the roles of Tom Clarke (mentor to Seán) and Máirín Ryan (female lead), before the budget and scale of the film can be finalised.
The downside of this decision is that ‘The Rising’ will be released at a later date than originally proposed. The upside is that we are following the right path to making the first movie on 1916 with an all-star cast and it will be a greater one that first envisioned. All the attached actors and production partners are supportive of this postponement and agree that it will make for a better movie in the end. The story of Seán MacDiarmada and the heroes of 1916 will be told in a movie that we can proudly enjoy for many years to come.
The team and I are very grateful for your encouraging messages, emails and comments. Please keep an eye for further updates on our social media platforms. "
All good wishes for a peaceful and pleasant Christmas.
Kevin McCann Producer - THE RISING
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