03/10/2010
Article published in IFTN News, September 2010
Irish production company Ripple World Pictures began shooting this week in Wales on the British psychological thriller ‘Retreat’ starring Cillian Murphy (Inception, Perrier’s Bounty, The Dark Knight), Thandie Newton (2012, RocknRolla, Crash) and Jamie Bell (Defiance, Jumper, Billy Elliot) in co-production with the UK’s Magnet Films.
‘Retreat’ is the debut feature of British director Carl Tibbetts who co-wrote the screenplay with Janice Hallett. Gary Sinyor (Leon the Pig Farmer) of Magnet Films is producing the feature with Dominic Wright (Lapland Odyssey) and Jacqueline Kerrin (Parked) of Ripple Exec Producing alongside David Frost and Michael Rosenberg (In Your Dreams) also of Magnet Films. Sony Entertainment have UK, Irish and German rights. Quickfire Films and SC Films are handling international sales.
The story centres around a couple, Kate (Thandie Newton) and Martin (Cillian Murphy), who escape from a personal tragedy to an island retreat. Cut off from the outside world, their attempts to recover are shattered when a man (Jamie Bell) is washed ashore with news of an airborne killer disease sweeping through Europe.
'Retreat' is financed completely outside of Ireland save for a small investment made by Ripple World Pictures. The film's producer, Jacqueline Kerrin tells IFTN that she would have liked for the feature to shoot here: We did try very hard to bring it to Ireland last year," She explains. "But at the time it didn’t attract Irish soft funding and production costs in Ireland were unfortunately higher than in alternative locations." Thus the film's production is currently underway in a remote cottage in Wales with Chris Seager (New in Town, White Noise) on board as the film's cinematographer.
Due to commitments on ‘Retreat’ producers Dominic Wright and Jacqueline Kerrin will miss the gala premiere tonight of their feature ‘Lapland Odyssey’ at the Helsinki International Film Festival. Irish Composer Lance Hogan (Capital Letters) will be representing the Irish co-producers of the Irish-Finnish-Swedish feature that last week had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in the Contemporary World Section. ‘Lapland Odyssey’ is being sold by Miira Paasillina of the new sales outfit, The Yellow Affair.
Text © 2010 IFTN (The Irish Film and Television Network)
