Dublin, 1st April 2025: The story of one of the world’s biggest boybands is coming to the big screen. A warts-and-all biopic charting the rise—and behind-the-scenes struggles—of Irish pop sensation Westlife is officially in the works, Film Ireland can confirm.
Directed by three-time Oscar nominee Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, The Hours, The Reader), the project is a planned international co-production between Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Canada, with Element Pictures leading the production. The production boasts a budget of €10 million and is backed by key European film bodies and private financiers.
Set to deliver an unfiltered take on Westlife’s journey from hopeful Dublin teens to pop icons, the film will explore the band’s drive, internal tensions, and their secret industry feuds—most notably with US supergroup Backstreet Boys. The story focuses on the cutthroat nature of the late ‘90s pop industry, and the personal and professional turmoil behind their chart-topping success.
Casting is being finalised, with rising talent Peter Coonan (King Frankie, Love/Hate) set to take on the role of Brian McFadden, Shane Filan will be played by Paul Mescal (Normal People, All of Us Strangers). Meanwhile, Peaky Blinders and Game of Thrones star Aidan Gillen has just signed on to portray Louis Walsh.
With Mark O’Halloran finalising the script, this Westlife biopic is already generating buzz. Production is set to begin later this year, with further casting announcements expected in the coming weeks.
