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PRODUCTION Ireland / Belgium / Denmark

European sci-fi feature Vivarium begins principal photography

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- Lorcan Finnegan’s second feature is an Irish-Belgian-Danish co-production starring Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots

European sci-fi feature Vivarium begins principal photography
Actors Imogen Poots and Jesse Eisenberg

Irish filmmaker Lorcan Finnegan is now working on his new feature, entitled Vivarium [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lorcan Finnegan
film profile
]
. His directorial debut, the ecologically themed horror film Without Name [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
funded by Screen Ireland (formerly the Irish Film Board) and distributed by Element Pictures – premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last year. Finnegan’s upcoming feature explores the thriller and science-fiction genres, with a story entirely penned by Garret Shanley, the author of the script for Without Name.

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The plot centres on a young couple looking for the perfect home, played by American actor Jesse Eisenberg (Now You See Me 2, Café Society) and British actress Imogen Poots (Friday’s Child, I Kill Giants [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
), who has replaced Mackenzie Davis (Tully, Blade Runner 2049 [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
), initially announced as the female lead. After following a mysterious real-estate agent to a new housing development, the couple becomes trapped in a disturbing, labyrinth-like neighbourhood of identical houses and are forced to raise an other-worldly child. Young Irish actor Eanna Hardwicke (The Eclipse) has also been confirmed as one of the cast members.

Principal photography started in Ireland earlier this month and will continue in Belgium. Members of the crew include production designer Philip Murphy (Into the Badlands, Rewind [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
) and costume designer Catherine Marchand (Façades [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
, The Confession [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
).

Vivarium is being produced by John McDonnell and Brendan McDonnell for Oscar-winning firm Fantastic Films (Ireland), in co-operation with Jean-Yves Roubin for Liège-based Frakas Productions (Belgium), and Alexander Brøndsted and Antonio Tublen for Copenhagen-based Ping Pong Films (Denmark). Finnegan’s feature is being backed by the Screen Ireland Irish film agency with a €750,000 grant, with additional support coming from Belgian production fund Wallimage, the Danish Film Institute, the Creative Europe MEDIA programme, British television channel Film4, Eurimages and Frontiéres. American firm XYZ Films is handling its international sales.

The official release date has not been disclosed yet.

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