Jim Sheridan Mounts Equestrian Epic ‘King of the Wind,’ Road Dramedy ‘Into Africa and Out’ (EXCLUSIVE)
by Ben Croll · VarietyIrish auteur Jim Sheridan will direct the equestrian epic “King of the Wind,” an historical drama about an 18th century Arabian colt that would go on to sire the modern thoroughbred bloodline.
Produced by Alan Moloney (“Small Things Like These”) and Gary Levinsohn (“Saving Private Ryan”) and adapted by Sheridan from Marguerite Henry’s eponymous novel, the film retraces the path of the so-called Darley stallion from the stables of the Moroccan sultan through to the courts of England and France. The filmmaker aims to shoot the project in the Middle East and North Africa, and will start scouting early next year.
While the true story had previously inspired Henry’s Newbery-winning novel and later a Richard Harris-led film, this latest outing promises a unique slant tied to the underexplored perspective of the horse itself.
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“It’s very hard to humanize or to actualize an animal,” says Sheridan. “I’m looking to make an animal human in a way, trying to access [it as you would an actor]. I’m very fascinated with trying to do that. Why? I don’t know.”
With production now wrapped on his true crime chamber drama “Re-creation” – and with that Vicky Krieps-led film angling for a 2025 festival premiere – Sheridan is busy developing a handful of new projects.
The six-time Oscar nominee will set his lens on paternity with “Into Africa and Out,” a semi-autobiographical road movie Sheridan is co-writing with his partner, director Zahara Moufid.
Following a father and his teenage daughter as they wind from Ireland to Morocco with many pets in tow, the intimate dramedy will build on the bittersweet tone and family focus of Sheridan’s 2002 Oscar-nominee “In America,” exploring the complexities of kinfolk with hope and heartache.
“The aim is to create a film that balances humor with the profound realities of family dynamics, responsibility, and the unique bond between a father and daughter,” co-writers and co-parents Sheridan and Moufid said in a statement. “[And this] is also a story of a new Ireland, featuring a journey that bypasses England and America in search of new hope in a fresh landscape.”
The partners had previously launched the Dublin Arabic Film Festival in 2014, and are also gearing up to co-direct “Hiba” – a family tale about class tensions and star-crossed love that is based on Moufid’s childhood in Morocco.
Speaking to Variety from the Cairo Film Festival – where Sheridan is now feted as festival guest of honor – the filmmaker reflected on his ample development slate and on the socially engaged and conscious through line connecting the various projects.
“I wouldn’t know what else to do,” he laughs. “[I’m pushed by] this passion to get to something just or true, because I’m not really that interested in pure entertainment. I don’t only want to entertain, and find that odd. If I’m just entertaining, I’d rather go to a dinner party.”