Ed Speleers Irish Wish is a 2024 American fantasy romantic comedy film directed by Janeen Damian and written by Kirsten Hansen.
Ed Speleers, Alexander Vlahos, Ayesha Curry, Elizabeth Tan, and Jane Seymour also appear in supporting roles.
The plot follows Maddie Kelly (Lohan), a book editor whose dream man is days away from marrying her best friend in Ireland when a spontaneous wish made on an ancient stone magically alters her fate and turns her into the bride.
[2] Irish Wish also received a limited theatrical release with several screenings at the Bay Theater in Los Angeles starting on the same day it became available for streaming.
Maddie Kelly has been secretly in love with Paul Kennedy, the author who she has been editing the past year and whose plot choices and writing she has improved.
On their return, a tree goes down from the storm and blocks the road back, so Maddie and James seek shelter in a nearby pub.
After Lindsay Lohan's return to acting with the holiday romantic comedy Falling for Christmas, Netflix announced in March 2022 they would continue to work with her through a partnership where she would star in two new films.
I really miss that and they were onboard with me and that's where the focus is.On September 1, 2022, Netflix officially announced Irish Wish as part of their two-picture creative partnership with Lohan, and revealed its premise.
[9] Hansen said the story was originally set in Italy under the working title "European Wedding" with her first draft being delivered to Krevoy in January 2020 and submitted to Netflix later that year.
"[11] On September 14, 2022, it was announced that Ed Speleers, Alexander Vlahos, Ayesha Curry, Elizabeth Tan and Jane Seymour had joined the cast.
She's kind of naive, and she keeps it that way because her head is always focused on writing and stuff," and revealed her brother Dakota would also be appearing in Irish Wish.
[28] Set in modern day Ireland, the film was expected to be released on Netflix in the following year, with Lohan playing the lead role.
[29] A casting call for a body double from the production company then revealed principal photography for the film would be taking place in Dublin, Wicklow and Westport, from September 5 to October 14, 2022.
[30] Scenic filming took place at Lough Tay, the Cliffs of Moher, Westport's town square, and the Clarence Hotel.
[44][45] It then topped Variety's inaugural Streaming Originals films chart, amassing 699 million minutes watched in its first week of release, according to data provided by Luminate.
[48][49][50] Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos talked about the movie's reception and its high completion rate in an interview with The New York Times in May 2024, stating: "'Irish Wish' is great!
"[51] Irish Wish also received a limited theatrical release with several screenings at the Bay Theater in Los Angeles starting on the same day it became available for streaming.
The website's consensus reads: "With Lindsay Lohan in the lead, it almost doesn't matter that Irish Wish is a scattered collection of rom-com clichés.
Yet these two make you believe that they belong together, and not every romantic comedy does that," adding that "Lohan hasn't lost her ability to light up a scene; she has a seasoned radiance.
"[57] Samantha Bergeson of IndieWire considered Irish Wish marks a "turning point in Lohan's return to fame" as her executive producer credit is evident as her "fingerprints are all over this cute yet very forgettable film," stating "Speelers anchors the film with A-lister-in-the-making charisma" and comparing the story to 27 Dresses but "the lack of originality smarts here".
[58] Benjamin Lee of The Guardian wrote that Lohan's return to mainstream films "needs expediting with another junky Netflix offering that feels beneath her talent", continuining that while "Netflix has specialised in the kind of anodyne content that can be popped on in the background while some ironing is done [...] it's not what we wish for Lohan, an actor back on the ladder who deserves to climb a lot higher than this.
"[61] Writing for RogerEbert.com, Marya E. Gates said Lohan is "an undeniable star and has always succeeded as a screwball comedienne even when the material isn't the greatest" also praising her "palpable" chemistry with Speleers that allows "their patter to sizzle and infuses their romantic moments, like a secretive dart game in a faraway pub, with some actual heat.
"[62] Emily Zemler of The New York Observer called the film "hopeful and sweet, even when it veers into the ridiculous, and it's a diverting comfort watch during a different time in the world" also noting the chemistry between the leads, with Speleers being "an extremely likable romantic lead" and Lohan "a believable nice girl learning to find her voice and it's hard not to root for her.
"[63] Nicolas Rapold of The New York Times highlighted a "worthy subplot about Maddie's growing independence from her phone-clingy mother, but mostly the movie is a determinedly mild addition to the Lindsay Lohan 'what-if' universe.
"[66] Will Tavlin of n+1 cited an exposition-heavy scene as evidence of how Irish Wish was, like other Netflix Original films, intentionally written as second screen content.