Lassie Lands in Ireland

By Declan O'Kelly, Contributor
August September 2005

Shooting began in Ireland in May on the new Lassie film, which stars Peter O’Toole and Samantha Morton.

The film, written and directed by Charles Sturridge, is based on Eric Knight’s 1938 novel Lassie Come Home and will film in Dublin, Wicklow and the Isle of Man. The story follows Lassie’s 500-mile adventure as she tries to return home to the Carraclough family after being sold to the Duke of Rudling (O’Toole).

The legendary collie will be played by HeyHey, a male eighth-generation descendant of the original dog. He was on hand along with Irish Arts and Tourism Minister, John O’Donoghue, in New York recently for the announcement of the project, and to highlight the Irish Government’s new initiative to promote Ireland as a viable movie location. O’Donoghue along with a delegation of the Irish Film Board, also traveled to Los Angeles to highlight Ireland as a location for prospective film makers.

To demonstrate the government’s ongoing commitment to the Irish film industry, it has extended and enhanced its current tax incentive, which, it is hoped, will help turn around a number of lean years in the industry. ♦

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