2/17/2012
Michael Fassbender to star as Cu Chulainn in 'Irish Myths'
I first read stories of Cu Chulainn, the Irish mythological hero of the Ulster Cycle stories years ago and always knew some day a film would be made about him. What I couldn't have known then was that Michael Fassbender would be the man to play him, but that's exactly what appears to be happening as Screen Daily(who have been on fire lately with the news) reports he's set to star in Irish Myths.
Yeah, that title sucks, but it's only a working one at this point. Ronan Bennett(Public Enemies) will provide the script. Cu Chulainn is often compared to the tragic Greek hero, Achilles. Both were practically invincible warriors, and were prophesied to achieve great deeds and receive everlasting fame although their lives would be short. His death, which I won't detail here for fear of potentially spoiling something, is particularly memorable for the way he remains a fearsome combatant until the very end.
There's no director in place yet, and funding is still being ironed out, so this one could still be a ways off. I'm not sure what the demand for something like this is, even though Fassbender is a hot commodity and has played a determined warrior before in Neil Marshall's Centurion. After an amazing 2011, Fassbender's 2012 is equally jam packed. He most recently appeared in Haywire, which he's currently doing overseas press for. This summer he'll star in Prometheus for Ridley Scott, and will begin filming on Steve McQueen's adaptation of Twelve Years A Slave.