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‘In Bruges’ director confirms new film with Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson

Getting the gang back together

‘In Bruges’ director confirms new film with Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson
Tom Victor
19 January 2018

Martin McDonagh is pretty hot property in Hollywood at the moment.

The British-born director, previously best known for In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths, is expected to be in Oscar contention for his latest release Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

A favourite with the critics, Three Billboards… marks a major venture into small town America, but the change of scene might only be temporary.

It’s also McDonagh’s first feature film without Farrell or Gleeson, though again it looks like that won’t be a permanent departure.

The director has spoken about his future plans, and it feels like good news for fans of his earlier work.

McDonagh won Best Screenplay at the recent Golden Globes

“I want to get Colin and Brendan back together as soon as possible,” McDonagh told JOE.

“I’m sort of working on something at the moment towards that end.”

He didn’t give any more specific clues than that, but most signs point towards it not being a sequel to the 2008 cult favourite.

“It’s not quite right and I don’t want to follow up In Bruges with something that is not as good because we were all happy with that,” he recently told the Irish Independent.

“But I’m going to keep working on it and I think it will be west of Ireland set and not set in the present day.”

It’s somehow been 10 years since In Bruges

In Bruges might have only taken $34.5 million at the box office, but it was a hit with almost all of those who watched it at the time and remains popular to this day.

McDonagh won Best Original Screenplay at the BAFTAs, as well as earning an Oscar nomination (missing out to Milk’s Dustin Lance Black), while Farrell edged out Gleeson to win the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.

Farrell is coming off a starring role in The Killing of a Sacred Deer, while Gleeson’s most recent role came in the surprise critics’ hit Paddington 2.

Farrell will also appear in Steve McQueen’s Widows and Tim Burton’s Dumbo in the next year or two, but perhaps there’s time to get the old gang back together for that long-awaited reunion.

(Images: Rex)