On The Town: Ned Dowd, executive producer of King Arthur, welcomed everyone to the film's Irish première in Dublin this week.
The best part about making King Arthur was "just the challenge of making a movie this size and the gratification of pulling it off in Ireland", said Dowd, who moved from Los Angeles to live in Killiney five years ago. As well as King Arthur, he has produced three other major films here in the last five years - including Reign of Fire, The Count of Monte Cristo and Veronica Guerin. King Arthur was mostly filmed in Ireland.
Shane Murray-Corcoran (12) who plays the young King Arthur in the film was there with his father, Paul Corcoran. The young actor said he loved the role. Already with a string of credits under his belt including a part in the film Angela's Ashes and the play Defender of the Faith at the Abbey, he said what he liked best was being in scenes on his own "when it was concentrated on me. Because there's no real dialogue. I felt more comfortable acting."
Another young star who came to the gala screening was Johnny Brennan (12). Dressed in a teddy-boy style red linen suit, designed and made by tailor Louis Copeland, he said the best part of filming for him was "hanging out with all the actors. They were all so nice".
Others at the Irish première included David Gleeson from Cappaghmore, Co Limerick, who has directed the recently-released Irish film Cowboys and Indians. "It's a comedy of terrors," he explains. "About grumpy young men who share an apartment in Limerick."
Ioan Gruffod, the Welsh actor who plays Lancelot in King Arthur, was at the première as were Ray Winstone and Irish actors Alan Devine, Ned Dennehy, Bosco Hogan and David Murray. Moya Brennan, who features on the film's soundtrack, was also at the première. After the screening at the UGC Cinema, guests attended a party in the lobby, which is in the old Harcourt Street train station.
King Arthur is on general release