Head to head in the new poster for the film.

THE OFFICIAL TRAILER for the Saipan movie dropped today ahead of an Irish release date of New Year’s Day 2026. 

The feature length film about the infamous bust-up between Ireland captain and manager on the eve of the 2002 World Cup has already been shown at film festivals in Toronto and London but the Irish public will have to wait until the new year to see it.  

The trailer gives a sense of what to expect though, with Éanna Hardwicke as Ireland captain Roy Keane and Steve Coogan as manager Mick McCarthy. 

The trailer shows the “shambles after shambles” of a preparation, as Keane puts it, leading to the shouting match that ultimately saw Keane sent home from the tournament. 

The Journal was present for a screening of the film today and while a full review will be published closer to the release date, what we can say is that Hardwicke as Keane is every bit as menacing and compelling as the real thing from the archive footage shown in the film. 

Poll: Which side are you on in the great Saipan debate?