Irish Film: Timothy Spall up for Ian Paisley in Nick Hamm’s The Journey

It looks like that Liam Neeson and Kenneth Branagh as Martin McGuinness and Ian Paisley will not be the version of new Northern Irish drama The Journey that we will see, as Deadline is reporting that Timothy Spall is being eyed for the role of the former DUP leader Paisley.

Earlier this year the same publication ran the intriguing news that Neeson and Branagh had recoreded a promo reel for the film, which was being shopped around at the Cannes marché.

The Journey, which is directed by Nick Hamm (Killing Bono) from a script by Colin Bateman (Divorcing Jack), sees the two Northern Irish leaders forced to take a short journey together, and finding a way to work together to form the future of their country.

Hamm, Mark Huffam (The Martian) and Piers Tempest (Like Minds) are producing, with financing coming from Stuart Ford’s IM Global, and Northern Ireland Screen.

With shooting set to begin mid-September on location in Northern Ireland and Scotland, the producers need to finalise this deal with Spall, and find a new Martin McGuinness.