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In September 2025, the film premiered at the [[Toronto International Film Festival]] and film was favourably reviewed by ”[[The Guardian]]” and described as “the rare football movie that’s worth a replay.”<ref>{{cite news| url = https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/sep/05/saipan-film-review-steve-coogan-eanna-hardwicke| title = Saipan review – football scandal makes for thrilling big-screen drama| author = Lee, Benjamin| date = September 5, 2025| access-date = September 8, 2025|newspaper = The Guardian}}</ref>

In September 2025, the film premiered at the [[Toronto International Film Festival]] and film was favourably reviewed by ”[[The Guardian]]” and described as “the rare football movie that’s worth a replay.”<ref>{{cite news| url = https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/sep/05/saipan-film-review-steve-coogan-eanna-hardwicke| title = Saipan review – football scandal makes for thrilling big-screen drama| author = Lee, Benjamin| date = September 5, 2025| access-date = September 8, 2025|newspaper = The Guardian}}</ref>

Damon Wise for ”[[Deadline Hollywood|Deadline]]” calls the film a “surprisingly profound soccer comedy.”<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wise |first=Damon |date=2025-09-05 |title=”Saipan” Review: Newcomer Éanna Hardwicke Is An Electric Presence In This Smart Irish Soccer Comedy-Drama – Toronto Film Festival |url=https://deadline.com/2025/09/saipan-review-lisa-barros-dsa-glenn-leyburn-toronto-1236508698/ |access-date=2025-10-09 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref> Robbie Collin in ”[[The Daily Telegraph]]” commented that Coogan played McCarthy “subtly” and the film was “most entertaining when it simply pits Coogan and Hardwicke against each other as two strains of modern Irish manhood at war”, providing “a watchable national identity crisis in microcosm”.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=27 Jan 2026|url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2026/01/23/saipan-review-steve-coogan/|website=The Daily Telegraph|first=Robbie|last=Collin|title= Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy’s bust-up makes for a juicily brutal drama|date=23 Jan 2026}}</ref>

Damon Wise for ”[[Deadline Hollywood|Deadline]]” calls the film a “surprisingly profound soccer comedy.”<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wise |first=Damon |date=2025-09-05 |title=”Saipan” Review: Newcomer Éanna Hardwicke Is An Electric Presence In This Smart Irish Soccer Comedy-Drama – Toronto Film Festival |url=https://deadline.com/2025/09/saipan-review-lisa-barros-dsa-glenn-leyburn-toronto-1236508698/ |access-date=2025-10-09 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref> Robbie Collin in ”[[The Daily Telegraph]]” commented that Coogan played McCarthy “subtly” and the film was “most entertaining when it simply pits Coogan and Hardwicke against each other as two strains of modern Irish manhood at war”, providing “a watchable national identity crisis in microcosm”.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=27 Jan 2026|url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2026/01/23/saipan-review-steve-coogan/|website=The Daily Telegraph|first=Robbie|last=Collin|title= Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy’s bust-up makes for a juicily brutal drama|date=23 Jan 2026}}</ref>

== Release ==

== Release ==

Revision as of 06:53, 27 January 2026

Sports film

Saipan

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Glenn Leyburn
Lisa Barros D’Sa
Screenplay by Paul Fraser
Produced by
  • Macdara Kelleher
  • John Keville
  • Trevor Birney
  • Oliver Butler
Starring

Production
companies
  • Wild Atlantic Pictures
  • Fine Point Films
Distributed by

Release dates
  • 4 September 2025 (2025-09-04) (TIFF)
  • 26 December 2025 (2025-12-26) (Ireland)
  • 23 January 2026 (2026-01-23) (United Kingdom)

Running time

 90 minutes[1]
Countries United Kingdom
Ireland
Language English

Saipan is a 2025 sports film about the Republic of Ireland national football team and the eponymous Saipan incident between player Roy Keane and manager Mick McCarthy in the lead up to the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Steve Coogan and Éanna Hardwicke star as McCarthy and Keane respectively.

Premise

On the eve of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the Irish captain Roy Keane forfeits his place in the squad at the team’s preparation base in Saipan, following a heated disagreement with the Irish manager Mick McCarthy.[3]

Cast

Production

The film is directed by Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D’Sa from a script by Paul Fraser. It is produced by Macdara Kelleher and John Keville for Wild Atlantic Pictures along with Trevor Birney and Oliver Butler for Fine Point Films.[4] It is made in association with Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen.[5]

In July 2024, Steve Coogan and Éanna Hardwicke were cast in the roles of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy and Ireland captain Roy Keane.[6] Jack Hickey joined the cast as Niall Quinn the following month.[7] Harriet Cains was cast as Keane’s wife Theresa.[8] Coogan told Patrick Kielty on the Late Late Show that he had “a chat” with Mick McCarthy before portraying him, saying he “wanted to make sure that if I was going to take part in it, it was a balanced depiction”.[9]

Principal photography began in Belfast in August 2024.[10]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Saipan holds an approval rating of 90% from 29 reviews.[11]

In September 2025, the film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and film was favourably reviewed by The Guardian and described as “the rare football movie that’s worth a replay.”[12]

Damon Wise for Deadline calls the film a “surprisingly profound soccer comedy.”[13] Robbie Collin in The Daily Telegraph commented that Coogan played McCarthy “subtly” and the film was “most entertaining when it simply pits Coogan and Hardwicke against each other as two strains of modern Irish manhood at war”, providing “a watchable national identity crisis in microcosm”.[14] Phil de Semlyn in Time Out awarded the film four stars but questioned whether McCarthy was unfairly shown as a “cowed” figure akin to a “supply teacher”.[15]

Release

The film was released first in preview screenings in Ireland on 26 December 2025, before going into general release on 1 January.[16] The film was later released in the United Kingdom on 23 January 2026 by Vertigo Releasing.[17]

Accolades

In January 2026, the film received 12 nominations at the Irish Film & Television Awards, including for best film and best director, with Coogan and Hardwicke both nominated for best lead actor.[18]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b “Saipan (15)”. British Board of Film Classification. October 23, 2025. Retrieved October 23, 2025.
  2. ^ “Saipan (2026)”. Irish Film Classification Office. November 14, 2025. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  3. ^ Coates, Tom (July 29, 2024). “Saipan film: Barnsley legend Mick McCarthy to be played by Steve Coogan in movie about Roy Keane spat”. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  4. ^ Ritman, Alex (July 29, 2024). “Steve Coogan to Play Mick McCarthy, Éanna Hardwicke Cast as Roy Keane in ‘Saipan’ Film About Irish Soccer Icon’s Infamous World Cup Walkout (EXCLUSIVE)”. Variety. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  5. ^ “Steve Coogan to play Mick McCarthy in Saipan clash film”. RTE. July 29, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  6. ^ McTaggart, Maeve (July 29, 2024). “Steve Coogan and Éanna Hardwicke to star as Mick McCarthy and Roy Keane in new film about Saipan”. Indpemdent.ie. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  7. ^ Rowan, Paul (August 4, 2024). “Actors to play Keane and McCarthy in Saipan World Cup film shot in Ireland”. The Times. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  8. ^ Masterston, Eugene (September 17, 2024). “First look: Meet actress set to play Roy Keane’s wife in ‘Saipan’ movie”. Sunday World. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  9. ^ “Steve Coogan talked to Mick McCarthy before making Saipan”. RTE. February 15, 2025. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
  10. ^ Hogan, Laura (August 7, 2024). “Saipan filming to begin in Belfast this week”. RTE. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  11. ^ “Saipan”. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  12. ^ Lee, Benjamin (September 5, 2025). “Saipan review – football scandal makes for thrilling big-screen drama”. The Guardian. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  13. ^ Wise, Damon (September 5, 2025). “‘Saipan’ Review: Newcomer Éanna Hardwicke Is An Electric Presence In This Smart Irish Soccer Comedy-Drama – Toronto Film Festival”. Deadline. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  14. ^ Collin, Robbie (January 23, 2026). “Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy’s bust-up makes for a juicily brutal drama”. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  15. ^ https://www.timeout.com/movies/saipan-review-2026
  16. ^ Porzio, Stephen (December 30, 2025). “One of 2025’s biggest Irish movies is finally available to watch now”. Joe. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
  17. ^ “All Future Releases”. Film Distributors’ Association. Retrieved October 23, 2025.
  18. ^ “Christy and Saipan lead the IFTA Awards 2026 nominations”. RTE. January 20, 2026. Retrieved January 20, 2026.

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