The shortlisting of a film by Belfast’s Irish-language rappers Kneecap for two Oscars has capped off a “remarkable year” for the industry in Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland Screen also expressed excitement about 2025 with three productions already confirmed to start filming, drawing stars including Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer to the region.
The national screen agency for Northern Ireland said 2024 was a “remarkable year” for the film and television industry with productions from epic fantasy to hard-hitting dramas “demonstrating the region’s strength as a world-class production hub”.
Among the highlights of the productions filmed in the region in 2024 included the Universal Pictures franchise How to Train Your Dragon at Titanic Studios, Belfast Harbour Studios and on location across Northern Ireland. It is set for release on June 13 2025.
The influence of Game Of Thrones is continuing with prequel series A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms also filming at Titanic Studios and on location, while How To Get To Heaven From Belfast, a new Netflix series by Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee recently completed filming.
Northern Ireland also played host to several high-profile TV dramas including two Channel 4 drama series, Trespasses and In Flight, which are currently shooting, as well as the second series of the courtroom drama Show Trial while Hope Street returned to Donaghadee for its fourth season.
A raft of Channel 5 dramas were also shot in Northern Ireland in 2024 including Ellis, a crime thriller featuring Sharon D Clarke and Andrew Gower, the third season of Dalgleish, based on the novels by PD James and crime drama The Puzzle Lady starring Bafta award-winning Actress Phyllis Logan, best known for playing Mrs Hughes in the award-winning television series Downton Abbey.
Pickle Storm series 2 for CBBC, Art Detectives for Acorn TV, and Malpractice series 2 for ITV rounded out the slate of TV drama.
In terms of independent film, there was Brad Anderson’s sci-fi action-thriller World Breaker, starring Milla Jovovich and Luke Evans and Saipan, covering the events leading up to Ireland’s incendiary 2002 World Cup campaign filmed over the summer in which Bafta-nominated Eanna Hardwicke plays Ireland captain Roy Keane.
Irish language film Aontas written by Damian McCann and Sarah Gordon was the first project to come through Gealan – the feature-length Irish language drama initiative from the Irish Language Broadcast Fund, BBC Gaeilge and TG4, while Cra, a six-part crime drama, set around Gweedore in Donegal was filmed.
Kneecap, an Irish-language film directed by Rich Peppiatt, was the break-out success, winning the Audience Award at Sundance and Best Irish Film at the Galway Film Fleadh in July before achieving the widest ever opening for an Irish film in August, grossing over 1.5m euro (£1.2m) at the Irish box office.
It has gone on to be shortlisted for two Oscar nominations for Best International Film and Best Original Song, after scooping seven gongs at the British Independent Film Awards.
Meanwhile, the Netflix film Lift starring Kevin Hart, which was filmed in Northern Ireland in 2022, was the most-watched title for two weeks in a row, with 36.7 million views when it was released in January.
The second series of the critically acclaimed Belfast-based police drama Blue Lights aired on the BBC in April, and saw an average of 4.48 million viewers per episode.
NI Screen said 2025 is set to be another stellar year with several productions already confirmed to begin filming.
These include the third season of Blue Lights, No Ordinary Heist, a crime thriller inspired by the £26.5m robbery of the Northern Bank in Belfast in 2004 and a reimagining of the classic legend The Death Of Robin Hood which stars Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer.
Richard Williams, chief executive of NI Screen, said it had been an “extraordinary year for Northern Ireland’s screen industries”.
“The range and quality of productions filmed here showcase our world-class talent, stunning locations and cutting-edge facilities,” he said.
“From box office hits to critically acclaimed TV dramas, we are proud to support storytelling that resonates globally. We look forward to continuing this momentum in 2025 and beyond.”
