The story of Sean Quinn’s rise and fall, from Ireland’s richest man to bankruptcy, is reportedly set to be made into a Hollywood film.
Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey and Irish actor Gerard McSorley are being tipped to play Quinn in a movie from the makers of 2000 Irish film Ordinary Decent Criminal.
The film is due to begin shooting next year and will be produced by James Mitchell of Dublin-based Soho Moon Pictures with a script from Emmy award-winning screenwriter, Ron Hutchinson.
Mitchell previously worked with Spacey and McSorley on Ordinary Decent Criminal, which was loosely based on the life of Dublin gangland figure Martin ‘The General’ Cahill.
Soho Moon’s Sarah Walsh told an Irish Sunday newspaper of the film: “It is in the very early stages of production at the minute. We would hope to start production in the New Year.”
Quinn (66), who is currently serving a nine-week prison sentence in Dublin, was once worth an estimated £4bn before the collapse of his business empire.
His rise in fortune began in 1973 when he borrowed £100 to set up Sean Quinn Quarries Ltd, extracting gravel from his family farm, washing it and selling it to local builders.
He went on to build up an empire that spanned many sectors including cement, glass, hotels, insurance and banking.
His family's empire fell apart in 2008 after the near collapse of Anglo-Irish Bank, which wiped out a substantial slice of his fortune.
