Oscar-winner Olivia Colman is set to play the lead role in Irish feel-good film Joyride, marking the first dramatic feature from Emmy winner Emer Reynolds (The Farthest, Shameless) and heading to the American Film Market.
The film follows train-wreck Joy (Colman) on an adventure, but ready to give away her newborn baby to her best friend. What she can’t anticipate is that a cheeky street urchin is also along for the ride. Both are on the run; two diamonds in the rough, forming a riotous pair.
“Once I met her, I couldn’t get her out of my head,” said Colman of Joy.
“We’re thrilled to be bringing this highly original, emotional and hilarious story into production with Emer Reynolds at the helm,” said producer Aoife O’Sullivan. “Writer Ailbhe Keoghan is a true talent and having Olivia Colman as our lead character Joy is a dream come true.”
Added Reynolds. “We’re thrilled to have the wonderful Olivia Colman, an artist of such incredible talent, intelligence and depth — not to mention comedic brilliance. It’s going to be a pleasure harnessing her rawness and her comedy and, vitally, the profound bravery that is visible in all her work.”
Dublin-based Subotica (Michael Inside, The Other Lamb) produce, led by O’Sullivan and Tristan Orpen Lynch. The film is set to shoot next year along the Wild Atlantic Way in West Ireland.
Embankment are on board as executive producers and will be selling the film worldwide at AFM. The script was written by Ailbhe Keoghan. The screenplay was developed in partnership with Screen Ireland.
Academy awarded for The Favourite, Colman can next be seen in Florian Zeller’s The Father opposite Anthony Hopkins. She will also be reprising her Golden Globe winning turn as Queen Elizabeth in the upcoming fourth series of The Crown.
