It is not unusual for acclaimed dancers, at some point in their career, to decide to make their artistic debut in the seventh art. There have been many successful examples of this over the last 50 years, such as those of Anne Fletcher, Charles Walters, Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen and Herbert Ross, to name but a few. This is also the case for Irish-American dancer and choreographer Michael Flatley, who is best known for his own popular theatrical productions Riverdance, Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames and Celtic Tiger.

Flatley retired in 2015, and since then, he has been working on his first feature-film project, entitled Blackbird. The story, penned by Flatley himself, focuses on a veteran secret operative (played by Flatley) who moves to the Caribbean island of Barbados to enjoy his retirement and escape his past. His peace and quiet will suddenly be interrupted when a powerful international arms dealer, Blake Molleneau (Eric Roberts), appears on the island and complicates his plans. The main cast also includes Irish actors Patrick Bergin (Free Fire [+lee también:
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The feature, shot in several stunning locations in Ireland, England and Barbados, is being directed by Flatley himself and co-produced by Richard Bolger (Rising/Falling, Cardboard Gangsters [+lee también:
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Blackbird has now entered the post-production phase and will be ready for theatrical release in autumn of this year.