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Steve Coogan and Éanna Hardwick have been seen for the first time in their roles as Mick McCarthy and Roy Keane in new film, Saipan.
The Alan Partridge actor, 59, takes on the part of embattled Irish national manager Mick, while Éanna will play Manchester United and Ireland legend Roy.
The film was announced earlier this year and will focus on one of the most memorable moments in Irish sporting history, Keane and McCarthy’s public fall out at the 2002 World Cup.
A new image released ahead of the film shows Coogan and Hardwick in character in a steam room setting, with a shirtless Coogan wearing a towel around his shoulders.
Meanwhile, Hardwick’s Keane is sat beside him wearing an Irish football kit.
Steve Coogan and Éanna Hardwick have been seen for the first time in their roles as Mick McCarthy and Roy Keane in new film, Saipan
Saipan will follow the events leading up to Ireland’s 2002 World Cup campaign.
It has been dubbed a ‘true-life comedy of the most epic proportions’ which looks at the ‘intense rivalry between Keane and McCarthy which transcended the game and gripped an entire nation’, according to the synopsis.
It reads: ‘On the surface, the feud was all about standards, but deep down it was a hugely emotive story of two men whose rivalry and contempt came to surpass the sport they loved. This is the definitive account of one of the most fractious falling-outs in the history of sport.’
Keane ended up leaving the Ireland camp before the start of the tournament in Japan and South Korea after a public falling out with McCarthy.
The pair were involved in a verbal altercation after Keane had given an interview to a newspaper bemoaning the preparation and facilities laid on by the Football Association of Ireland.
The footballer is said to have ranted at McCarthy in front of his teammates, telling him to ‘stick your World Cup up your a**e’ before flying back to Ireland. McCarthy later disputed this and claimed he sent him home.
Keane was said to reportedly be furious at the ‘training conditions, strategy, travel arrangements, diet and also McCarthy’s competence’.
Mick McCarthy’s infamous bust-up with Roy Keane will be portrayed in the new film ‘Saipan’
Keane had already been convinced to reconsider a decision to quit the squad only for the falling out to lead to the Manchester United midfielder leaving anyway.
‘Saipan’ – the Japanese island were Ireland were based – will tell the story of events leading up to Keane’s departure.
‘A million words have been written about what happened on that fateful week in 2002 on the tiny island of Saipan,’ said producers Macdara Kelleher and John Keville.
‘Next year audiences will finally get to experience first hand the feud between Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy and why it was labelled ‘the worst preparation for a World Cup campaign ever’.’
Without Keane, Ireland finished second after going unbeaten in Group E, including a last-gasp draw against Germany, before losing on penalties to Spain in the round of 16.
McCarthy resigned in November 2002 and Keane returned to the Ireland fold under his successor Brian Kerr but retired from international football after failure to help the nation qualify for the 2006 World Cup.
The ex-Manchester United star was sent home from the 2002 World Cup after the heated row
The supporting case includes Alice Lowe, Jamie Beamish, Alex Murphy, Harriett Cairns and Peter McDonald.
‘Saipan’ is being directed by Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D’Sa — the duo behind ‘Good Vibrations’ and ‘Ordinary Love’ — — working from an original script by Paul Fraser (‘Dead Man’s Shoes’). Bankside Films is handling sales and will be showing a promo to buyers at the American Film Market.
The film is being produced by Macdara Kelleher and John Keville for Wild Atlantic Pictures (‘Evil Dead Rise,’ ‘Cocaine Bear,’ ‘Black 47’) along with Trevor Birney and Oliver Butler for Fine Point Films (‘Kneecap,’ ‘No Stone Unturned’) with Patrick O’Neill and Rachael O’Kane serving as executive producers. Wildcard and Vertigo Releasing have acquired U.K. and Ireland rights on the film and are scheduling a theatrical release in 2025.
