Presents: Malcolm Campbell, Writer (500 Miles, What Richard Did, Bad Sisters) episode artwork

EPISODE · May 15, 2026 · 1H

Presents: Malcolm Campbell, Writer (500 Miles, What Richard Did, Bad Sisters)

from Film Ireland Podcast · host FilmIreland

Award-winning screenwriter Malcolm Campbell has worked on some of the most influential shows on UK television. His impressive back catalogue of films includes the gripping What Richard Did as well as the deeply affecting Herself. Now, his latest feature, 500 Miles, has just hit cinemas. This moving family drama, featuring Bill Nighy and Maisie Williams, follows two young brothers on a poignant journey across Ireland.In this Film Ireland Podcast, Malcolm discusses adaptation, notes, writing with empathy, working with actors, and the collaborative process of bringing 500 Miles to the screen.Listen now on SoundCloud, Apple, Spotify, Acast and Amazon, or subscribe to Film Ireland wherever you get your podcasts.Malcolm CampbellMalcolm is an award-winning screenwriter from Mansfield, whose credits include the acclaimed feature films, What Richard Did and Herself. He created and wrote C4's hit TV drama series Ackley Bridge, now in its 5th and final series, and he has written for some of the UK's most popular dramas, including Shameless and Skins. Malcolm's ​screenplay for What Richard Did, directed by Lenny Abrahamson and produced by Element Pictures, won numerous awards including The Evening Standard British Film Award's Best Screenplay, The Writer's Guild's Best Screenplay and the Irish Film and TV Award's Best Film Script. Malcolm co-wrote the film Herself with its star Clare Dunne. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd, reviews for the film were outstanding and it was released globally across 2021, winning Best Script at the IFTAs that year.500 MilesWhile their fighting parents (Clare Dunne & Michael Socha) tear their hair out with worry, runaways Finn (Roman Griffin Davis) and his live-wire younger brother Charlie (Dexter Sol Ansell) embark on an epic adventure from Yorkshire, over land and sea, to the Wild West coast of Ireland. With the free-spirited busker Cáit (Maisie Williams) helping the young boys along the way, their destination is Dingle, County Kerry, and their estranged, beloved Grandfather (BAFTA-award winner Bill Nighy), who their parents haven’t spoken to since the fateful events of the previous summer.Directed by BAFTA-winner Morgan Matthews and written by Malcolm Campbell, this powerful adaptation of Mark Lowery’s acclaimed book Charlie and Me: 421 Miles from Home is produced by New Origin, Port Pictures and Minnow Films. Produced by David M. Thompson, Alexander Gordon, Martina Niland and Keren Misgav Ristvedt, and with music from Jamie Duffy, 500 MILES stars Bill Nighy (Love Actually, Living) alongside Roman Griffin Davis (Jojo Rabbit), Dexter Sol Ansell (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms), Clare Dunne (Herself, Kin), Michael Socha (This is England) and Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones).In cinemas 15th May 2026.Over the years, the podcast has featured acclaimed guests such as Phyllida Lloyd, Lenny Abrahamson, M. Night Shyamalan, John Boorman, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Aisha Tyler, Colm Meaney, Paul Reiser, Niamh Algar, David Freyne, Ciarán Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, John Crowley, Niamh Algar, Gene Stupnitsky, and Terence Davies, alongside many of the most influential voices working in film and television today.So make sure to subscribe and listen back! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 15, 2026

Embed this episode

Ready to play

Presents: Malcolm Campbell, Writer (500 Miles, What Richard Did, Bad Sisters)

0:00 1:00:07

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Film Ireland Podcast?

This episode is 1 hour and 0 minutes long.

When was this Film Ireland Podcast episode published?

This episode was published on May 15, 2026.

Can I download this Film Ireland Podcast episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!