Lassie (The film) 'to be shot in Ireland'

Arts Minister John O’Donoghue is expected to officially confirm today that a new feature film on the world’s most famous dog, Lassie, will be shot on location in Ireland.

Mr O’Donoghue has been meeting major film producers and studios in Los Angeles in an effort to promote the country as a potential spot for filming movies.

Shooting on Lassie is expected to begin next April.

The famed dog has already featured in ten films, also starring Hollywood legends including Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey Rooney and Jimmy Stewart, and over 675 half-hour television episodes.

The television series was one of the longest running programmes.

Mr O’Donoghue and Irish Film Board executives have met with heads of production from Warner Brothers, Miramax, 20th Century Fox, Sony, Paramount, Universal and Disney in Los Angeles to promote Ireland as a filming location.