The forthcoming cinematic production named “Saipan” will shed light on the notorious spat between Mick Carthy and Roy Keane prior to the 2002 football World Cup; an event the late sportscaster Bill O’Herlihy referred to as possibly the most tumultuous week in Irish sport history.
Irish thespian Éanna Hardwick, whose work has been recognised by the Bafta, will assume the role of ex-footballer Keane. Joining him will be two-time Oscar contender Steve Coogan, portraying the role of the erstwhile management head of Ireland, McCarthy.
The movie is centred around the widely publicised “Saipan incident” of 2002, where Keane and McCarthy engaged in a public row before the Fifa World Cup finals in Japan took place. Keane, at the time Irish team leader, and McCarthy locked horns over several logistics on Saipan, in the run-up to the competition. Points of contention included the state of training facilities, game tactics and travel plans.
Keane would not feature for his nation until 2004, subsequently to McCarthy’s resignation as manager.
“Saipan” is set to be brought to life by Macdara Kelleher and John Keville for Wild Atlantic Pictures, along with Trevor Birney and Oliver Butler for Fine Point Films. Patrick O’Neill, Eoin Egan and Rachael O’Kane will also contribute as executive producers.
The movie will be helmed by directors Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D’Sa, the duo also responsible for the 2013 Irish comedic drama “Good Vibrations” and the 2019 love story “Ordinary Love”, which featured Liam Neeson and Lesley Manville.
Production of the film is slated to kick off in the coming summer, with UK and Ireland rights being secured by Wildcard and Vertigo Releasing. The intention is for the film to hit cinema screens in the summer of 2025. Bankside Films will handle the worldwide sales, under the supervision of Executive Producers Stephen Kelliher and Sophie Green.
Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen are collaborating on producing the film. Filming will be carried out in both Ireland and Saipan, later in the summer. Screen Ireland will have Greg Martin as the executive producer, while Ursula Devine assumes the same role for Northern Ireland Screen.
The film’s directors expressed their enthusiasm about working alongside an impressive cast and crew to recreate a major event in Irish sports history that lead to national divisions, profoundly affecting the country’s self-perception, aspirations, and dreams as it briefly put Saipan, a small volcanic island in the Pacific, in the global spotlight.
The film will also delve into the Saipan controversy of 2002, twenty years later, which caused turmoil amongst Irish football fans who were ecstatic about the looming World Cup in South Korea and Japan. The story centres around the contentious incidents leading up to Ireland’s departure for a notorious training camp on the island of Saipan.
Furthermore, the film will revisit the infamous sporting scandal of 20 years ago, featuring former RTE journalist Tommie Gorman who interviewed Roy Keane upon his return from Saipan. The documentary will also showcase the opinions of Ken Early, Mary Hannigan, Emmet Malone and Eamon Dunphy on the national dispute around Mick and Roy and how Keane’s presence might have impacted Ireland’s World Cup journey.