The national screen agency highlighted 2024 as a year of unprecedented success, with productions ranging from epic fantasies to gripping dramas solidifying the region’s reputation as a world-class production hub. The momentum is set to continue into 2025, with several major projects already lined up, attracting stars like Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer to Northern Ireland.
One of 2024’s standout projects was the Universal Pictures production of How to Train Your Dragon, filmed at Titanic Studios, Belfast Harbour Studios, and various Northern Irish locations. The film is scheduled for release on June 13, 2025. Meanwhile, HBO’s Game of Thrones legacy endured with the prequel series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, also filmed in Belfast, alongside Netflix’s How to Get to Heaven from Belfast, penned by Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee.
Northern Ireland was also a hub for high-profile television dramas.
Channel 4 produced Trespasses and In Flight, while the courtroom drama Show Trial returned for a second season, and Hope Street filmed its fourth season in Donaghadee. Channel 5 also contributed significantly, with productions like Ellis, Dalgleish season three, and The Puzzle Lady, starring Bafta-winning actress Phyllis Logan.
For younger audiences, CBBC’s Pickle Storm series 2 and ITV’s Malpractice season 2 were completed, along with Art Detectives for Acorn TV.
Independent films made a strong impact in 2024. Highlights included Brad Anderson’s sci-fi action-thriller World Breaker, starring Milla Jovovich and Luke Evans, and Saipan, a drama about Ireland’s 2002 World Cup campaign, featuring Eanna Hardwicke as Roy Keane. The Irish-language film Aontas emerged from the Gealán initiative, while Cra, a crime drama set in Donegal, added further depth to the region’s cinematic offerings.
The year’s biggest breakout success was Kneecap, an Irish-language film directed by Rich Peppiatt. It garnered the Audience Award at Sundance, won Best Irish Film at the Galway Film Fleadh, and broke records for an Irish film, grossing over €1.5 million at the domestic box office. The film has since been shortlisted for two Oscars—Best International Film and Best Original Song—after winning seven British Independent Film Awards.
Other noteworthy achievements included the Netflix film Lift, starring Kevin Hart, which was filmed in Northern Ireland in 2022 and became Netflix’s most-watched title for two consecutive weeks in January 2024, with 36.7 million views. Additionally, the second season of the critically acclaimed BBC police drama Blue Lights drew an average of 4.48 million viewers per episode.
Looking ahead, NI Screen anticipates another stellar year in 2025, with confirmed projects including the third season of Blue Lights, the crime thriller No Ordinary Heist—inspired by the infamous £26.5 million Northern Bank robbery—and The Death of Robin Hood, a reimagining of the classic legend starring Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer.
Richard Williams, chief executive of NI Screen, hailed the achievements of 2024 as “extraordinary,” highlighting the range and quality of productions that underscore Northern Ireland’s global standing in the screen industry. “From box office hits to critically acclaimed dramas, we are proud to support storytelling that resonates worldwide. We look forward to building on this success in 2025 and beyond,” he said.