The first trailer for Saipan, the film about the famous bust-up between future Town manager Mick McCarthy and Roy Keane ahead of the 2002 World Cup, has been released.
McCarthy is played by Alan Partridge star Steve Coogan and Keane by BAFTA-nominated Irish actor Éanna Hardwicke.
Keane, Ireland’s star player and captain, and McCarthy verbally clashed after the then-Manchester United midfielder had criticised the FAI’s preparation and the facilities they had provided ahead of the tournament, which was held in South Korea and Japan, and the player subsequently sent home.
As well as the two former Town managers, ex-skipper Matt Holland may also be portrayed having been a member of McCarthy’s squad at the tournament, scoring Ireland’s goal in their 1-1 draw with Cameroon.
The Irish feature is directed by Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D’Sa, who previously made the 2013 comedy-drama Good Vibrations and the 2019 romance Ordinary Love. The script was written by Paul Fraser.
The official synopsis reads: "Saipan is the thrilling story of football player Roy Keane and his manager Mick McCarthy, and the events leading up to Ireland’s incendiary 2002 World Cup campaign.
"The intense rivalry between these two personalities transcended the game, gripping an entire nation and the sporting world.
"On the surface, the feud was all about standards, but deep down it was a hugely emotive story of two men whose rivalry and contempt came to surpass the sport they loved.
"This is the definitive account of one of the most fractious fallings-out in the history of sport.”
The pair had differing reactions to news that the film was being made when producer Trevor Birney approached them last year.
"Part of my job as a producer was to contact Roy and Mick, and I got two very different reactions for both of them,” he told the Irish News.
"Mick was on a golf course in Portugal [when I called him]. I said, ‘Listen, you don’t know me from Adam, and I’m sorry to disturb you, but Steve Coogan wants to talk to you’.
"And he was going, ‘Steve Coogan wants to talk to me?’. I’m like, ‘Yeah, he does. We’re starting this film in a couple of weeks’ time and he wants to speak to you’. Then he said, ‘So, if Steve Coogan’s playing me - who’s playing the boy from Cork?’.
"When he realised that Steve Coogan was playing him, I’d say Mick was excited. And they had a wonderful conversation, Mick gave Steve a lot of time.”
Keane was less enthusiastic, Birney says: "I’ve been trying to get Roy to do a documentary for a couple of years, without any luck. I’d met him in Cork, and we had a great fun day.
"We kept the conversation going and we were texting each other, and I thought he might do the documentary - but then he didn’t.
"Then [Saipan] came along. He was actually at the Euros and I had to text him: ‘Just to let you know, we’re making this film’.
"I don’t want to give away the confidentiality of his text, but Roy kind of went, ‘Oh, yeah? Nothing to do with me. All the best’. It was pure Roy Keane.”