SAIPAN opens with over €500k at Irish Box Office – Number one new release – Biggest Irish film since Cillian Murphy’s Small Things Like These

The must-see Irish film of the year, SAIPAN, has crossed the €500k mark at the Irish Box Office in its first week on release, grossing €523k to date, becoming the No. 1 new release in Ireland and the biggest Irish film since Small Things Like These, starring Cillian Murphy.

Directed by Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D’Sa, SAIPAN has opened to rave reviews from critics and audiences alike, boasting an outstanding 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and generating overwhelmingly positive word of mouth nationwide.

The film enjoyed a standout opening as audiences flocked to cinemas across the country.

Speaking about the film’s success, Patrick O’Neill, Founder and Managing Director of Wildcard whose previous box office hits include Kneecap, The Young Offenders and Black ’47 said:

“SAIPAN is the film everyone is talking about.  Everyone in Wildcard is thrilled it has been embraced so warmly by audiences throughout Ireland, feedback has been incredible.  It is one of the best performing Irish films in recent years at the Irish Box Office, with sold out screenings throughout the country.”

Now heading into its second week of release, SAIPAN continues its strong run and will be playing in over 80 cinemas across Ireland this weekend.

SAIPAN is the thrilling story of iconic Republic of Ireland football captain Roy Keane (Éanna Hardwicke) and his national team manager Mick McCarthy (Steve Coogan) and the events leading up to Ireland’s incendiary 2002 World Cup campaign. The intense rivalry between these two personalities transcended the game, gripping an entire nation and the sporting world. On the surface, the feud was all about standards, but deep down it was a hugely emotive story of two men whose rivalry and contempt came to surpass the sport they loved. This is the definitive account of one of the most fractious fallings-out in the history of sport.

Directed by award-winning filmmakers Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn (Good Vibrations, Ordinary Love) and based on an original script by Paul Fraser (Heartlands, A Room for Romeo Brass), SAIPAN stars BAFTA nominated Éanna Hardwicke (Lakelands, The Sixth Commandment) as Roy Keane, with two-time Academy Award® nominee Steve Coogan (Philomena, The Reckoning) as Mick McCarthy. Supporting cast include Alice Lowe (Sightseers), Jamie Beamish (Derry Girls), Alex Murphy (The Young Offenders), Harriet Cains (Bridgerton) and Peter McDonald (The Batman).

The film was produced by Macdara Kelleher and John Keville for Wild Atlantic Pictures (Evil Dead Rise, Cocaine Bear, Black 47) along with Trevor Birney and Oliver Butler for Fine Point Films (Kneecap, No Stone Unturned) with Patrick O’Neill, Rachael O’Kane, Rupert Preston and Ed Caffrey serving as Executive Producers.

SAIPAN was made in association with Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen with funding from BFI Global Screen, Coimisiún na Meán and RTÉ.