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Michael Flatley at the Monaco Streaming Film Festival last year
# bird of the dance
Michael Flatley's first feature film is to be shown in Irish cinemas this year
Mystery has surrounded the production of spy thriller ‘Blackbird’, which was made in 2018.
MICHAEL FLATLEY’S spy film ‘Blackbird’ is set to be shown in Irish cinemas this autumn.
The film was made in 2018 has never had a full release until now – it’s due to land in Irish cinemas on 2 September.
It stars Flatley himself as a secret agent who retires to the Caribbean to open a nightclub.
The Lord of the Dance also wrote, directed and financed the film.
Michael Flatley's debut feature BLACKBIRD is heading for Irish cinemas on 2nd September.
— Wildcard Distribution (@WildCardDistrib) July 14, 2022
✨ Starring Michael Flatley, Eric Roberts and Patrick Bergin
🎬 Written and directed by Michael Flatley
Check out the trailer 👇#Blackbird #MichaelFlatley pic.twitter.com/CJIBxrJXZr
Flatley said today: “I’m thrilled to be releasing Blackbird in cinemas across Ireland. The pandemic has brought about many unprecedented production delays, but we’re finally there.
“As well as filming on location in Barbados and the UK, we filmed many scenes in Ireland, so premiering here was always the first choice. There’s nothing more breath-taking than the Irish landscape.”
The film also stars The thriller also stars Eric Roberts of The Dark Knight and Irish actor Patrick Bergin, who starred in Sleeping With The Enemy, Nicole Evans and Ian Beattie.
Sinead O’Connor also wrote a song for the film.
Flatley said: “We’ve all put a lot into this project, and for me it’s very personal. This was a new endeavour for me professionally and something I’ve always wanted to do.”
‘Blackbird’ has been shrouded in mystery since it premiered at the 2018 Raindance Film Festival in London. No reviews were written about the film following its screening, and it went largely unnoticed online at the time.
It has been shown at a number of private screenings, including at the Stella cinema in Dublin, but there has been no word about a general release until now.
The film opened the 2021 Monaco Streaming Film Festival, where Flatley won the Best Actor award, raising a few eyebrows among critics.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, he denied the endeavour was a vanity project, despite his writing, directing, producing and acting credits.
