The world's most famous dog may be American, but when Lassie runs through the fields on her next heroic mission, she will be on Irish soil.
Yesterday, the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Mr O'Donoghue, announced that the next Lassie film will begin shooting in Ireland in April.
While the location has not been decided, it seems likely that it will be in the south of the State. Mr O'Donoghue said that the film would require "mountainous scenery", adding: "Obviously, the Macgillycuddy Reeks will be in the running." Further filming will take place on the Isle of Man, in association with the Isle of Man Film Commission.
The new Lassie movie will be a retelling of the 1938 novel Lassie Come Home. It will be jointly produced by Classic Media in the US and Firstsight Films in the UK together with Element Films, a Dublin-based production company which has been involved in the making of such films as Omagh and The Magdalene Sisters.
Ireland's success in winning the film highlighted the importance of the extended Section 481 tax incentive, Mr O'Donoghue said. Together with Tourism Ireland, he had been in discussion with Classic Media to see how the film could be used to promote Ireland as a tourist destination.
Mr Eric Ellenbogen, Classic Media's chief executive, said that the company was "very excited" at the prospect of filming in Ireland. "The country's lush green landscape and rolling hills provide the perfect backdrop for Lassie's epic film journey," he said.
The Minister returns to Ireland today after leading an Irish Film Board delegation to the US to meet executives in major film studios such as Warner Bros, Fox, Disney and Paramount.
Lassie is one of the entertainment world's most successful franchises, with 10 feature films and more than 675 television episodes to her credit.
