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LAURA LINNEY, MAGGIE SMITH MAKE A PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES IN ‘THE MIRACLE CLUB’ – FIRST LOOK (EXCLUSIVE)

1st Sep, 2022

Variety by Manori Ravindran

Variety can reveal a first look at Maggie Smith and Laura Linney in the new drama “The Miracle Club,” which has wrapped production in Ireland and is now in post.

The Dublin-shot film, which also stars Kathy Bates, centers on four Dublin women who come together on a pilgrimage to the holy city of Lourdes in France, where they discover the solidarity in their friendship and unveil their own personal miracles.

Directed by Thaddeus O’Sullivan, “The Miracle Club” wrapped over the summer at Ardmore Studios in Dublin.

The film also features Oscar nominee Stephen Rea (“The Crying Game,” “The Usual Suspects”) and up-and-coming star Agnes O’Casey (“Longbourn,” “Ridley Road”).

Linney most recently starred in the last season of Netflix’s “Ozark,” while Smith was last in “Downton Abbey: A New Era,” where she plays the salty Dowager Countess. Bates starred in the 2020 film “Home,” directed by German actor Franka Potente.

“The Miracle Club” is an official co-production between Chris Curling‘s London-based Zephyr Films and Larry Bass’s Dublin production banner ShinAwiL.

It is produced by Josh Maurer and Alix Witlin of City Films Entertainment and Curling. Bass, Aaron Farrell, and John Gleeson and Oisín O’Neill (both from Irish financier BCP) are also producers.

Meanwhile, Embankment, the sales arm of newly formed Free Range Entertainment, are handling worldwide sales and arranged financing, which is provided by Ireland’s BCP, Ingenious Media, Screen Ireland and the BFI. Louise Nathanson and Anna Vincent are executive producers for Hianlo.

Embankment have pre-sold the film to a number of international distributors, including Lionsgate in the U.K.

Tim Haslam, co-founder of Embankment, said: “Perhaps the miracles we are searching for are actually right in front of us –– and today, after a couple of years sustained by total determination, Thaddeus and our ladies now perform their own miracle – served up with their own delicious humour.”

Curling added: “Throughout the pandemic, Maggie, Kathy and Laura were collaborative encouraging and above all patient – and what a wonderful experience it was for all of us when everything finally came together this summer. As a team we also thank our fantastically supportive and patient distributors and financiers.”