Eddie Marsan & Éanna Hardwicke Set For Irish Thriller ‘No Ordinary Heist’; Wildcard Distribution Acquires UK-Ireland Rights

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EXCLUSIVE: Eddie Marsan (Back to Black, Happy Go Lucky) and Éanna Hardwicke (Lakelands, The Sixth Commandment) are set to star in upcoming Irish thriller No Ordinary Heist, inspired by the largest cash heist in UK and Irish history.

Colin McIvor (Zoo) will direct from a script he co-wrote with debut screenwriter Aisling Corristine with filming expecting to begin in January across locations in Dublin and Belfast.

Inspired by true events that took place in Belfast in December 2004, No Ordinary Heist weaves a gripping fictional tale of two bank employees thrust into a chilling scheme. Forced to orchestrate a £26.5M ($33.8M) robbery to save their family, they are made to execute the crime without the gang ever stepping foot inside the bank.

McIvor is best known for Toby Jones and Penelope Wilton starrer Zoo while Corristine is an alumnus of BBC Voices.

No Ordinary Heist marks the first feature project from the newly launched Picture Locked Productions, in partnership with Damon Lane of Next Wednesday Films. It’s supported by Fis Éireann/Screen Ireland, Northern Ireland Screen and U.S.-based Six Leaf Clover, with BBC Northern Ireland and RTÉ securing broadcast rights in Northern Ireland and Ireland respectively.

Wildcard Distribution has acquired rights for the UK and Ireland with Epic Pictures handling worldwide sales.

“For Aisling and I, it was always the human story behind this truly extraordinary, complex and terrifying event that appealed, and the fact that it all played out on my doorstep, only added to that cinematic appeal,” said McIvor. “And so, having been inspired, we set out to use this event as the basis for our fictionalised drama.”

“This is an exciting collaboration between incredibly talented professionals,” said Ruth Carter and Johanna Hogan of Picture Locked Productions. “After two decades of working together across various projects, forming Picture Locked felt like the natural next step. With No Ordinary Heist, we’re thrilled to work alongside Damon Lane and Colin McIvor as we bring this gripping story to life. With such a stellar cast, an enthralling script and a talented director, we’re excited to begin filming in January 2025 – coinciding with the 20th anniversary of this remarkable event.”