Hollywood stars descend on Kells for movie 'Cracks'

Hollywood stars will descend on Kells this week as Headfort School is one of the settings for a new movie being shot on location in Ireland.

'Casino Royal' star Eva Green will be joined by Juno Temple of 'Atonement', Imogen Poots, star of '28 Weeks Later' and Maria Valverde ('La Flaqueza del Bolchevique') in Jordan Scott's directorial debut, 'Cracks'.

French actress Green was raised in Paris and lives partly in London. She has been noted by Vogue for her 'killer looks, intelligence and modesty', and described by The Independent as 'Gothic, quirky, and sexy'.

The daughter of actress Marlène Jobert, Green performed in theatre before making her film debut in 'The Dreamers' (2003), which generated controversy over her numerous nude scenes. She achieved greater fame for her parts in 'Kingdom of Heaven' (2005), Daniel Craig's debut James Bond film, 'Casino Royale', for which she won a BAFTA, and, more recently, 'The Golden Compass'.

Rising star Juno Temple, who played cousin Lola in 'Atonement', is Julien Temple's daughter and also appears in the forthcoming 'Wild Child' for Working Title.

Imogen Poots is an British actress best known for playing Tammy in the 2007 film '28 Weeks Later'. Her first movie credit was as Young Valerie in the 2005 film 'V for Vendetta'. Poots appears in the BBC drama 'Miss Austen Regrets' and has been working on the American film 'Waking Madison', co-starring with Sarah Roemer playing as Madison.

María Valverde (21) is a Spanish actress born in Madrid and won a Goya Award in 2003 for her role in the Manuel Martín Cuenca movie, 'La Flaqueza del Bolchevique'.

The director, Jordan Scott, is the daughter of producer/director Ridley Scott ('American Gangster', 'Gladiator'), who is set to be the executive producer on 'Cracks'.

The film shoots in Ireland for seven weeks, on location in Dublin, Wicklow and Meath, followed by two days in the UK's Pinewood Studios. Two 13-year-old Irish girls, Adele McCann and Zoe Carroll, will make their acting debuts in the feature, and Navan actor Gerry Shanahan is playing a coroner, one of the few male roles.

'Cracks', set in a 1935 girls' boarding school, follows a girl's unhealthy bond with her teacher 'Miss G'. When the arrival of an exotic and beautiful foreign student threatens the status quo, there are tragic consequences for them all.

Headfort House is a real-life boarding school built roughly 200 years ago for the Earl of Bective, Thomas Taylour. The facade of the house is now a severe, almost drab grey, built of Ardbraccan limestone in a plain style.

The house was designed by the Irish architect George Semple. The interiors were designed by the Scottish architect Robert Adam.

His designs were somewhat simplified for various reasons. Much of the interior remains in good condition, thanks mainly to the school's occupancy. It remains the only intact Adam interior in Ireland.

Much of the original furniture, which would have been designed by Adam to complement his lofty interiors, is still in place. Some items were recently bought by the State, with a view to their being displayed in the house eventually.

These items, including pier glasses and tables, are undergoing restoration in Kilkenny Castle, as part of an ongoing exhibition of Irish furniture. The furnishings from the magnificent Chinese Drawing Room have long since gone. The school uses the main house and one of the wings; the other wing is used as a self-contained private house.

There are currently 120 pupils in the school, the highest number since 1951. Some 10 of the current female pupils have been chosen as extras for the film. Shooting starts in Kells today (Wednesday).

The movie is co-produced by Dublin's Element Pictures and the UK's Scott Free and Future Films. Killer Films and Industry Entertainment who developed the project are also producing. Kwesi Dickson will produce for Future Films, with Andrew Lowe producing for Element.

'We are delighted that Jordan Scott has chosen to film her first film on location in Ireland,' said Naoise Barry, Film Commission, Irish Film Board.

'The Irish Board's US office has worked hard to attract this production. Ireland is particularly attractive for feature films in the $10 to $30 million range, the combination of our tax incentive section 481 and IFB finance was key to the financing of this project,' she explained.