Netflix to release new Irish period thriller from Kneecap director

Bad Bridgets, an Irish period thriller, is set to be released on Netflix. The film will be directed by Rich Peppiatt, who won a BAFTA for his directorial debut Kneecap.

British actress Emilia Jones and Irish actress Alison Oliver will lead the cast, according to Variety.

Jones is known for her Oscar-winning film CODA, as well as her role in the crime drama Task. She has also recently appeared in a new adaptation of Wuthering Heights.

The film is inspired by the 2024 book Bad Bridget: Crime, Mayhem and the Lives of Irish Emigrant Women by Elaine Farrell and Leanne McCormick. Set in 19th-century famine-era Ireland, the story follows the mass emigration to the United States, focusing on two sisters and the often-overlooked realities faced by many Irish women, including involvement in crime rather than idealised “heroic” narratives.

Kneecap is a 2024 comedy-drama written and directed by Rich Peppiatt. The film depicts the rise of Belfast hip-hop trio of the same name and premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, becoming the first Irish-language film to screen at the festival.

The project is produced by Margot Robbie's LuckyChap Entertainment, the company behind 2023’s hit Barbie. It is also developed with support from Queen's University Belfast.

Filming is expected to begin in Ireland in late 2026.