RIVERDANCE FANS are getting a special sneak preview of the new animated feature film based on the Irish stage phenomenon.
Riverdance: The Animated Adventure boasts an all-star cast featuring the vocal talents of Pierce Brosnan, Brendan Gleeson, Aisling Bea and Pauline McLynn.
The plot centres on Irish boy Keegan (Sam Hardy), and his Spanish friend Moya (Hannah Herman Cortes), as they journey through the mythical world of the Megaloceros Giganteus and learn more about the magic of the Riverdance.
Riverdance: The Animated Adventure is directed by Eamonn Butler and Dave Rosenbaum and boasts a musical score by Bill Whelan which was recorded during lockdown using a 73-piece orchestra in socially distanced conditions in Vienna.
The musical comedy stars Brosnan as the King of the Megaloceros Giganteus, while Gleeson and fellow Irish actor John Kavanagh has been cast as the film’s main villains.
As well as boasting a stellar cast, the film also features a song by Irish musician Lyra, which will be released as a sequel to coincide with the release of the film.
Riverdance: The Animated Adventure will be available in Ireland and the UK on Sky Cinema and streaming service NOW on May 28.
Ahead of its release, Sky has released the first full trailer for the film to give fans a taste of what to expect.
One thing they can definitely expect to see is the same Irish dancing that helped Riverdance go from a one-off performance at the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest to a stage experience that celebrated its 25th anniversary last year.
Eager to showcase the dancers’ incredible efforts, the filmmakers actually used motion capture from their performances to create the animated dancing sequences that feature on the film.
Moya Doherty, who served as producer on the original Riverdance show and helped produce the film, said:
"This animation brings Riverdance to its next incarnation, a new and exciting phase which brings together dance, music, Irish folklore and global mythology to create an experience which can be shared by families across the generations.
"It brings the Riverdance spectacle to a new audience while allowing those who have journeyed with the show for twenty-five years to bring those memories into a new setting, one filled with laughter, tears and moving storytelling.
“The next twenty-five years of Riverdance starts here."
