Irish popstar Ronan Keating is set to hit the big screen in an adaption of the critically acclaimed play “Stones in His Pockets” by Marie Jones.
Keating is to star alongside actor Conleth Hill in the new film being directed by actor Ian McElhinney, who is Jones’ husband. Both Hill and McElhinney are currently starring in HBO’s Game of Thrones.
Conleth Hill who plays Varys in Game of Thrones
Stones in His Pockets is set in Co Kerry where a town is suddenly overrun by a glamorous Hollywood film crew.
36-year-old Keating will play the role of Jake Quinn, while Hill will reprise his role of Charlie Conlon, which won him an Olivier Award for Best Actor back in 2001. The two are hired as extras on the fictitious movie set.
The title comes from the tragic event that happens in the course of the play where a local boy drowns himself after he’s humiliated by one of the female cast members. He dies by suicide with stones in his pockets leaving his town devastated.
Jones’ casting agent Ros Hubbard contacted Keating after the singer was interviewed by Piers Morgan where he discussed his marriage split.
“I started to listen to him” said Jones, speaking to RTÉ.
“The camera really loved him. He had so much controlled emotion and was dead honest.”
“I thought ‘he’d be brilliant in Stones, why isn’t he an actor?’. He said he wanted to do more films.”
The former Boyzone was very excited about his role, tweeting:
Ian McElhinney who plays Barristan Selmy in Game of Thrones
Stones in His Pockets will be Keating’s second film, having previously acted in Australian film Goddess.
The movie is expected to start filming next year.
Pics via HBO – Game of Thrones
