Colin Farrell and Steve Coogan join Netflix's Bad Bridgets
Colin Farrell and Steve Coogan have joined the ensemble cast of Bad Bridgets, Rich Peppiatt's Netflix-backed Irish period thriller. They round out a starry lineup alongside Charlie Heaton, Domhnall Gleeson, and others as the Kneecap director prepares to shoot the famine-era drama on location in Northern Ireland and Ireland starting in mid-July 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Colin Farrell and Steve Coogan are among seven new additions to the Bad Bridgets cast, joining leads Emilia Jones and Alison Oliver.
- The film adapts real history from Elaine Farrell and Leanne McCormick's nonfiction book about Irish emigrant women dubbed "Bad Bridgets."
- Rich Peppiatt directs, writes, and produces the Netflix feature through Coup d'Etat Films alongside Margot Robbie's LuckyChap.
- Production starts in mid-July 2026 across Northern Ireland and Ireland, with no release date announced yet.
What Is 'Bad Bridgets' About?
Netflix's Bad Bridgets is inspired by the history book Bad Bridget: Crime, Mayhem, and the Lives of Irish Emigrant Women by academics Elaine Farrell and Leanne McCormick. Peppiatt and producer Trevor Birney optioned the book in 2025 after it drew attention as a hot sales title at last fall's American Film Market.
Variety reports the story is set in the 19th century against a famine-ravaged Ireland. It follows two sisters who make a treacherous journey to America to escape an abusive father, poverty, and hunger. Once in New York, they join other Irish women known as the "Bridgets," stirring mayhem in the city.
The official logline reads: "When a mysterious letter offering escape leads a young Irish woman to 19th-century New York, she is pulled into the unruly world of the Bridgets, where mayhem follows in her wake." Farrell and McCormick coined the term "Bad Bridget" for impoverished Irish girls and women who travelled to the U.S. and Canada seeking a new life, often ending up on the wrong side of the law as they struggled to survive.
The Hollywood Reporter notes the book highlighted that, for a time, Irish women outnumbered Irish men in prison. Peppiatt's film frames that history as an Irish period revenge thriller rooted in the lives of women history often overlooked.
Who Else Joined the Cast With Colin Farrell?
Beyond Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin) and Steve Coogan (Philomena), the newly announced ensemble includes Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things), Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina), Himesh Patel (Yesterday), Niamh Algar (The Iris Affair), and Simone Kirby (Kneecap).
Those names join previously announced leads Emilia Jones (CODA) and Alison Oliver (Wuthering Heights). Netflix unveiled the expanded cast on Tuesday, building on the initial October 2025 announcement of Jones and Oliver. Specific character roles for Farrell, Coogan, and the other newcomers have not been disclosed.
Who Is Making 'Bad Bridgets' Behind the Camera?
Rich Peppiatt, the BAFTA-winning director of 2024 breakout Kneecap, is writing, directing, and producing Bad Bridgets. He reunites with Kneecap cinematographer Ryan Kernaghan, while Oscar and BAFTA winner James Price (Poor Things) serves as production designer and Kate Hawley (Frankenstein) designs costumes. Cáit Collins executive produces.
The feature is a joint production from Peppiatt's Belfast-based Coup d'Etat Films — his company with Trevor Birney — and Margot Robbie's LuckyChap Entertainment. The project was developed with support from Queen's University Belfast and is being produced with support from Northern Ireland Screen.
When Does 'Bad Bridgets' Start Filming on Netflix?
Production is scheduled to begin on location in Northern Ireland and Ireland in mid-July 2026, according to trade reports. Netflix confirmed it is releasing the film, though no streaming premiere date has been set.
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