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Luca Guadagnino will next direct the William S. Burroughs adaptation “Queer” with Daniel Craig playing the renowned counterculture author’s alter ego, an outcast American expat who lives in Mexico, and “Outer Banks” star Drew Starkey starring as a younger man with whom he becomes madly infatuated.

“Queer” will also topline Lesley Manville (“The Crown”), frequent Wes Anderson collaborator Jason Schwartzman; and Henry Zaga (“The New Mutants”), according to inside sources.

The boldly ambitious indie film is set to start shooting this month at Rome’s refurbished Cinecittà Studios where the Mexico City-set movie will be filmed in its entirety.

Lorenzo Mieli’s Fremantle-owned Italian company The Apartment – the internationally expanding shingle behind Guadagnino’s “Bones and All” and Sofia Coppola’s upcoming “Priscilla” – is lead producing “Queer” in tandem with Guadagnino’s own Frenesy Film. Fremantle North America is also on board.

American playwright Justin Kuritzkes, who penned...

Joining Timothy Spall and Colm Meaney, the trio of thesps have signed on for the dramatic comedy about a turning point in Irish and British history. Helmed by Nick Hamm (The Hole, Killing Bono) from a script by Colin Bateman (Divorcing Jack), The Journey is slated to begin production on Sept. 28 in Northern Ireland and Scotland. Oscar-nominated Hurt (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Elephant Man) will play Harry, an accomplished veteran political fixer overseeing the St…...

In early July, the news arrived that Timothy Spall was in talks to play late politician Sir Ian Paisley in The Journey. It appears he’s gone against Paisley’s traditional “no” stance and said yes to the part, and now Colm Meaney has joined the drama as Paisley’s stalwart enemy-turned-true friend Martin McGuinness. Nick Hamm’s film chronicles the story of how two seemingly implacable enemies – Paisley, the fiery, vocal leader of Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fein’s McGuinness – had to find common ground and make history. The pair became such good friends that they were nicknamed The Chuckle Brothers.Director Nick Hamm is writing the script with Divorcing Jack’s Colin Bateman and aims to kick off filming in Northern Ireland and Scotland in the middle of next month.Meaney, who has been spending most of his time recently in Western-flavoured Us TV drama Hell On Wheels,...

Drama will document the Protestant leader’s unlikely road towards friendship with his longterm political enemy, Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness

Timothy Spall looks set to play the Reverend Ian Paisley in the Northern Ireland Troubles drama The Journey, which will document the firebrand politician’s unlikely friendship with Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness.

Deadline reports Spall is in advanced discussions to portray the late Democratic Unionist party leader in a role with significant awards season potential. Belfast-born Nick Hamm, best known for 2001’s The Hole and 2011’s Killing Bono, is set to direct from a screenplay by Divorcing Jack’s Colin Bateman.

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Oscar nominee Jim Sheridan, 'Game of Thrones' director Brian Kirk and celebrated Irish author Pat McCabe are among a number of Ireland's most critically acclaimed filmmakers, writers and academicians set to take part in panel discussions as part of this week's John Ford Ireland Film Symposium, which gets underway tomorrow (June 7). The recently announced Directors Panel and Writers Panel are shaping up to be a symposium highlight with Northern Irish writer Colin Bateman (Divorcing Jack) also set to attend.

Sunday, October 3rd will see new drama series, 'Love-Hate', launch on RTÉ One. The 4 x 1hour series stars Robert Sheehan (Misfits), Aidan Gillen (The Wire), Ruth Negga (Breakfast on Pluto) and Ruth Bradley (Stardust) and explores Dublin's modern gangland community. Iftn spoke with 'Love/Hate' screenwriter, Stuart Carolan (Little White Lie, Raw) to discuss the very personal inspiration behind the project, the cast members involved and his alternative approach to researching Dublin's gangland members. 'Love/Hate' is directed by David Caffrey (Divorcing Jack, Raw) and shot for seven weeks in October and November of last year around Dublin. The series starts with a catastrophic event which ignites the tensions in a small-time drug gang, family, friends and community who must live with the consequences.

BBC's hit undercover cop drama series Murphy's Law is back with the DVD debut of Series 2 from Acorn Media on April 27, 2010. Award-winning actor James Nesbitt (Waking Ned Devine, Bloody Sunday, Woody Allen's Match Point, and Five Minutes of Heaven) delivers another powerhouse performance as roguish undercover cop Tommy Murphy in this "outstanding series" (The Mirror, UK). Based on his novel, Colin Bateman (Divorcing Jack) wrote and created the series specifically for Nesbitt. The 2-volume DVD set includes all six episodes from Series 2 (www.AcornOnline.com, $39.99).

BBC's hit undercover cop drama series Murphy's Law is back with the DVD debut of Series 2 from Acorn Media on April 27, 2010. Award-winning actor James Nesbitt (Waking Ned Devine, Bloody Sunday, Woody Allen's Match Point, and Five Minutes of Heaven) delivers another powerhouse performance as roguish undercover cop Tommy Murphy in this "outstanding series" (The Mirror, UK). Based on his novel, Colin Bateman (Divorcing Jack) wrote and created the series specifically for Nesbitt. The 2-volume DVD set includes all six episodes from Series 2 (www.AcornOnline.com, $39.99).

Shooting has begun on a new RTÉ drama, entitled 'Love-Hate', in Dublin on 12 October. Reflecting life in modern gangland Dublin, the story for the four x one hour drama is written by Stuart Carolan (Raw, Little White Lie) and will be directed by David Caffrey (Divorcing Jack, Raw). Ifta winning actor Aidan Gillen (The Wire) heads the cast alongside 21 year old star of 'Cherrybomb', Robbie Sheehan. Other confirmed cast includes a lineup of young Irish actors such as Ruth Negga (Breakfast on Pluto), Ifta winning actress Ruth Bradley (Stardust) and Killian Scott. An RTÉ funded Octagon Films production, 'Love-Hate' is produced by Simon Massey, Suzanne McAuley (A Shine of Rainbows) and James Flynn (P.S. I Love You).

The second series of the restaurant based drama 'Raw', produced by Octagon Films and Ecosse Films, is currently filming in and around Dublin and Wicklow. Actress Charlene McKenna, who won an Ifta for her role in the first series, chats to Iftn on what's in store for her character Jojo Harte. Series two of 'Raw' will continue to explore the heated and personal relationships that emerge between staff at a thriving Dublin restaurant. Actors Charlene McKenna (Pure Mule), Liam Garrigan (Holby City), Keith McErlean (Bachelor's Walk) and Damon Gameau (Razzle Dazzle) are all returning to the series with new cast to include 'The Clinic' actress Aisling O'Sullivan. Directors for the second series are David Caffrey (Divorcing Jack), Nick Renton (Little White Lie) and Simon Massey (Skins).

With Jackass: The Movie in the top slot at the boxoffice, the film's star, Johnny Knoxville, has found his next project. He will star in the low-budget indie comedy feature Grand Theft Parsons alongside a cast that includes Christina Applegate and Marley Shelton. David Caffrey (Divorcing Jack) is directing the project, which will be in production by year's end, with Frank Mannion producing. Jeremy Drysdale wrote the script, which is inspired by a true story. It sees Knoxville star as Phil Kaufman, a road manager for musician Gram Parsons. The film begins at Parsons' death, with Kaufman stealing the musician's body from a mortuary and racing it to Joshua Tree in the Southern California desert. There, Kaufman attempts to burn it to fulfill a pact he made with Parsons. Applegate plays Parsons' ex-wife, while Shelton plays Kaufman's love interest. Robert Forster and Michael Shannon also star.