Veteran Belfast-born actor Ciaran Hinds paid a surprise visit to a Donegal pub on Bank Holiday Monday as he films his latest movie in the county.
Hinds, who recently earned his first Oscar nomination for his performance in Kenneth Branagh’s ‘Belfast’, is starring alongside Hollywood legend Liam Neeson in the big budget blockbuster ‘In the Land of Saints and Sinners’.
The villages of Glencolmcille and Kilcar along with the fishing port of Killybegs and surrounding areas are the locations chosen for two months of filming, which is currently underway.
Read More: Film director Neil Jordan said he hopes Ciaran Hinds wins an Oscar
A cast and crew of around 300 people have descended on the area to shoot scenes for the action adventure.
A number of locals have also been hired as extras for the filming, which is set to be a major economic boost for the area.
On Monday, Hinds was spotted enjoying a spot of lunch in Mrs B’s Coffee House in Killybegs where he posed for a photo alongside delighted staff.
He was also spotted with a Gaeilge agus Fáilte sign promoting the local Gaeltacht area while enjoying a pint of Guinness in Evelyn’s Central Bar in nearby Carrick.
Evelyn’s Bar also posted pictures of the actor with staff behind the bar and meeting members of the local GAA team.
“Great night in the bar having Ciarán Hinds in for a few pints of Guinness and of course our lovely Clg Naomh Columba ladies. Enjoy your night girls!” they wrote on Facebook.
Lifelong pals Neeson, 69, and Hinds, 69, will again share the big screen in the upcoming Irish flick after previously co-starring in Martin Scorsese’s ‘Silence’ (2016) and John Boorman’s ‘Excalibur’ (1981).
Ballymena man, Neeson, who is currently promoting his latest film ‘Memory’, will play the newly retired assassin who finds himself drawn into a lethal game of cat and mouse with a trio of vengeful terrorists.
Oscar-nominated Robert Lorenz is directing ‘In the Land of Saints and Sinners’, and previously directed Neeson in ‘The Marksman’, which topped the box office in early 2021.
The screenplay is written by Mark Michael McNally and Terry Loane, with revisions by Matthew Feitshans..
Other star names have been added to the impressive cast list in the upcoming thriller., which now includes Colm Meaney (Star Trek), Kerry Condon (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) and Jack Gleeson (Game Of Thrones).
Filming on ‘In the land of Saints and Sinners’ is expected to last until the beginning of June.
A host of international buyers that have come forward to pre-buy the film, including Netflix for UK and Ireland audiences.
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