Bad Bridgets, a period thriller from Kneecap director Rich Peppiatt, has expanded its cast, with Charlie Heaton and Steve Coogan among the new additions.
Heaton, best known for playing Jonathan Byers in Stranger Things and Coogan, known for his iconic character Alan Partridge, have joined the cast of the Netflix film in as-yet-unannounced roles.
Other newcomers to the cast include Colin Farrell (Banshees of Inisherin), Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina), Himesh Patel (Yesterday), Niamh Algar (The Iris Affair) and Simone Kirby (Kneecap). Their characters are also yet to be revealed.
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They join previously announced leads Emilia Jones and Alison Oliver.
Inspired by the novel Bad Bridget: Crime, Mayhem and the Lives of Irish Women – a work of social history and true crime by academics Elaine Farrell and Leanne McCormick – the film is set during the 19th century and against the backdrop of Irish famine, and tells the tale of two sisters who embark on a dangerous journey from Ireland to the United States seeking escape from abuse and poverty.
Upon arrival, they soon become embroiled with a group of other Irish women, known as ‘Bridgets’, who are causing chaos in the city.
As well as his comedy creation Alan Partridge, Coogan is also known for the 2013 film Philomena, which went on to receive four Oscar nominations.
He not only starred in the movie opposite Dame Judi Dench but also co-produced and co-wrote the film’s screenplay.
Meanwhile, before bagging his breakout role in Stranger Things, Heaton had small roles in the television series DCI Banks, Vera and Casualty. He’s also set to star as Charles Shelby in the next generation of Peaky Blinders.
Director Peppiatt, who earned a Bafta for 2024 comedy-drama Kneecap, is also producing under the Coup d’Etat Films banner, alongside Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap.
Ryan Kernaghan, who previously worked with Peppiatt on Kneecap, will serve as cinematographer.
Production is set to begin in Northern Ireland and Ireland in mid-July 2026.
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