Arcadian and The Watched (the Watchers in USA) both get their theatrical release this weekend, the latest movie to feature locations in counties Wicklow, Dublin and, in the case of The Watched, Galway.
Filming for the bigger budget production “Arcadian” took place around Ashford and Kilpedder over several weeks starting in November 2022, using woodlands, seascapes and city sites in counties Dublin and Wicklow to create a post-apocalyptic dystopian setting instead of relying solely on computer visualisation.
The plotline is a horror thriller directed by Ben Brewer, starring Nicolas Cage as a father protecting his twin sons (played by Jaeden Martell and Maxwell Jenkins) from deadly creatures in a desolate world.
The film is set in a bleak future where humanity is facing extinction due to environmental devastation and predatory threats, with the trio struggling to survive in an isolated farmhouse.
In interviews, cinematographer Frank Mobilio talked about the challenges of filming in Ireland’s unpredictable weather, which added to the film’s atmospheric tension, while actor Maxwell Jenkins instanced some spooky experiences from the Irish forest setting.
The Watched (the Watchers in the USA) was shot in Wicklow, Dublin and Galway, including Electric nightclub and Griffin’s bakery, which had dressed as a pet shop for the film.
The film stars Dakota Fanning as a 28-year-old artist who gets stranded in a forest in western Ireland. After finding shelter, she becomes trapped alongside three strangers, (Georgina Campbell, Oliver Finnegan and Olwen Fouéré) stalked by mysterious creatures each night.
The Watched is the debut feature of director Ishana Shyamalan, adapting from a novel by Galway-based AM Shine.
These are the third ands fourth movies from county Wicklow to open in 2024. Famous films set in Wicklow (location of the original Hollywood), include Arcadian (2024), Barry Lyndon (1975), Braveheart (1995), Breakfast on Pluto (2005), Cocaine Bear (2023), Cracks (2009), Disenchanted (2022), Ella Enchanted (2004), Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (2005), Gold (2016), The Green Knight (2021), Henry V (1944), Images (1972), Irish Destiny (1926), Irish Wish (2024), Isolation (2005), Leap Year (2010), Loss (2008), The Other Lamb (2019), P.S. I Love You (2007), Rawhead Rex (1986), Reign of Fire (2002), Sea Fever (2019), Small Things like These (2024), Taffin (1988), This Other Eden (1959), The Turning (2020), the Watched (the Watchers in USA, 2024), We Have Always Lived in the Castle (2018), Widows’ Peak (1994) and Zardoz (1974). Location shots from Arcadian that were share don social media:
