WOLFWALKERS IS THE NUMBER 1 FILM AT THE IRISH BOX OFFICE
Cartoon Saloon’s animated feature WOLFWALKERS has charted as the No. 1 film at the Irish box office this weekend and placed 3rd overall in UK/Ireland. It is the first Irish film since Black 47 in 2018 to reach the coveted top spot at the Irish box office. It has been receiving rave reviews from Irish film critics and cinema audiences alike since Irish cinemas reopened last week.
Speaking about the news, Patrick O’Neill, MD of Wildcard Distribution who are distributing the film in Ireland and the UK said: “It’s great to see Wolfwalkers being so warmly embraced by an Irish cinema audience and opening at No. 1 at the Box Office. It’s a stunning piece of work, and is rightly being tipped for an Oscar©. Congratulations to directors Tomm and Ross, and everyone at Cartoon Saloon.”
The film is the third animated feature from two-time Academy Award©-nominee Tomm Moore (The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea) and Ross Stewart and is co-produced by Kilkenny-based Cartoon Saloon and Melusine Productions. Variety has tipped it for winning the Best Animated Film Oscar next year.
WOLFWALKERS follows Robyn Goodfellowe, a young apprentice hunter who journeys to Ireland with her father in a time of superstition and magic to wipe out the last wolf pack. While exploring the forbidden lands outside the city walls, Robyn befriends a free-spirited girl, Mebh, a member of a mysterious tribe rumored to have the ability to transform into wolves by night. As they search for Mebh’s missing mother, Robyn uncovers a secret that draws her further into the enchanted world of the “Wolfwalkers” and risks turning into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy.
The Apple Original film is directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart and written by Will Collins (Song of the Sea). Paul Young, Nora Twomey, Tomm Moore and Stéphan Roelants serve as producers. It follows Moore’s two prior Oscar-nominated animated features, The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea, as well as Cartoon Saloon’s Oscar-nominated The Breadwinner.
It had its world premiere at the 45th Toronto International Film Festival earlier this year and also screened at the prestigious BFI London Film Festival to great critical acclaim. It had a sold-out screening at the Cork International Film Festival earlier last month.
An official Ireland-Luxembourg co-production, WOLFWALKERS was produced with the participation of Value & Power Culture Communications Co, FÍS/Screen Ireland, Film Fund Luxembourg, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, RTÉ, Canal +, OCS and the Pole Image Magelis, Charente Region Fund.
