Conor McPherson starts shooting Screen Ireland-supported film The Weir, starring Brendan Gleeson, Owen McDonnell, Seán McGinley, Kate Phillips and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor
Posted: 15th February 2026
Principal photography has commenced in Ireland on The Weir, the new feature from Conor McPherson based on his Laurence Oliver Award winning play of the same name.
The film retains the cast from the recent critically acclaimed stage revival including Brendan Gleeson, Owen McDonnell, Seán McGinley, Kate Phillips and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor.
The stage production has been nominated for multiple awards, including Best Actor nominations for Brendan Gleeson in both the Critics’ Circle and Standard Awards, as well as Best Ensemble and Best Revival of a Play in the Critics’ Circle Awards. Kate Phillips has been nominated as Best Newcomer in the Critics’ Circle Awards.
Set in a remote pub in rural Ireland, four local men—Jack, Brendan, Jim, and Finbar—gather for their nightly pints. Their routine is disrupted when Finbar introduces Valerie, a newcomer from Dublin.
To impress her, the men trade eerie local folklore and ghost stories. However, the mood shifts profoundly when Valerie reveals the tragic, personal reason for her arrival. Far from a simple thriller, the play is a tender, intimate exploration of deep-seated loneliness, the comfort of shared storytelling, and the delicate human need for connection amidst the isolation of the countryside.
The film is produced by Kate Horton (Kate Horton Productions), Anne Clarke (Landmark Productions), Andrea Calderwood (Potboiler Productions), Gail Egan (Potboiler Productions) and Lara Hickey (Copper Alley Productions), with the support of Fís Eireann / Screen Ireland in association with Curzon Film.
Executive producers are Conor McPherson, Brendan Gleeson, Keith Potter for Screen Ireland, and Philip Knatchbull and Louisa Dent for Curzon Film.
Curzon and Break Out Pictures have jointly acquired distribution rights for the UK and Eire.
Shooting is currently taking place on location in Ireland.