Steve Coogan to Play Mick McCarthy, Éanna Hardwicke Cast as Roy Keane in ‘Saipan’ Film About Irish Soccer Icon’s Infamous World Cup Walkout (EXCLUSIVE)
variety.comAlex Ritman Fast-rising and BAFTA-nominated Irish star Éanna Hardwicke (“The Sixth Commandment,” “Lakelands”) is set to play Manchester United and Ireland soccer legend Roy Keane in upcoming Irish feature “Saipan,” Variety can reveal.
Hardwicke will be joined by two-time Oscar nominee Steve Coogan (“Philomena,” “The Reckoning”), who will star as Mick McCarthy, the former Ireland soccer manager with whom Keane had an infamous falling out. “Saipan” is being directed by Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D’Sa — the duo behind the critically-lauded 2013 Irish comedy-drama “Good Vibrations” and the 2019 romance “Ordinary Love,” starring Liam Neeson and Lesley Manville — working from an original script by Paul Fraser (“Dead Man’s Shoes”), with production set to start this summer.
The film’s title comes from the infamous so-called “Saipan Incident” in 2002, when Keane was captaining the Irish national side ahead of the FIFA World Cup finals in Japan.
While preparing on the tiny island of Saipan, the soccer star — known for his hot-headed temperament on and off the field — had a very public, very bitter disagreement with McCarthy, reportedly furious at the training conditions, strategy, travel arrangements, diet and also McCarthy’s competence.
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