Lord of 3D: Michael Flatley

Lord of 3D: Michael Flatley

Will former Riverdance star Michael Flatley become Lord of 3D?

He and the rest of us will find out next year when he brings a 3D film version of his popular “Lord of the Dance” stage show to film.

Michael Flatley, creator of "Lord of the Dance"

Marcus Viner, who specializes in multi-camera live music productions, directed the movie produced by UK-based 3D production company Nineteen Fifteen Productions in association with ITN Productions. It was shot in London and Dublin last month and will be brought to theatres worldwide on March 17 by SuperVision Media with Kaleidoscope distributing other formats.

Since he broke away from the team-oriented “Riverdance” to focus the spotlight directly on himself in 1996, Flatley’s “Lord of the Dance,” for which he is credited as creator, producer, director, and star, has been seen by more than sixty million people in sixty countries on every continent and grossed more than $1 billion worldwide.

The movie version of the Irish folk story of good triumphing over evil through dance will provide “unprecedented access to Flatley’s performance,” according to a media announcement.

“…Lord of the Dance in 3D creates an experience as if the audience is right with me on stage,” Flatley said in the announcement. He said the movie is designed to reach audiences who never had an opportunity to see the stage show.

Flatley sold out twenty one consecutive nights at London’s Wembley Arena, he debuted in New York at Radio City Music Hall, selling out thirteen consecutive nights, and went on to appear at Madison Square Garden. He also sold out within days of going on sale in Australia and broke box office records in South Africa. The show also ran for six years in Las Vegas and was performed before an audience of more than 100,000 in a football stadium in Budapest, Hungary.

— By Scott Hettrick