Irish filmmaker Mark O’Connor (Between the Canals, King of the Travellers) is to get back into the directors chair again with the upcoming film Cardboard Gangsters. The film, which is in preproduction at the moment, tells the story of a group of young cardboard gangsters who attempt to gain control of the drugs trade in Darndale in Dublin. The script is written by John Connors, who co-wrote Mark O’Connor’s previous film Stalker and also starred in King of the Travellers.
In addition to Connors, the film will also star Barry Keoghan (Stalker,71,Trepass Against Us (alongside Michael Fassbender)) and Stephen Clinch (Stalker, Jack and Ralph Plan a Murder). There are also roles for UFC star Conor Mc Gregor and musician and actor Damien Dempsey. The film will be produced by Stalker films with backing from TV3 and the BAI.
It is unusual to see a film being made in Darndale and it will be nice to see another underused area of Dublin on screen. O’ Connor previously filmed Between the Canals in the Sheriff Street area of the city and has a real eye for underused locations.
Recent media reports on the film have been quick to tie the film to the successful TV series Love/Hate and to emphasise the violence, but O’Connor has stated that his film will not be sensationalist with over the top violence, but instead will be a realistic portrayal of gangland Dublin.
Cardboard Gangsters is set to begin filming at the end of this year.