Get ready to meet Bad Bridgets. 

In the new crime saga written and directed by Rich Peppiatt (Kneecap), the true history of Irish emigrants to America serves as the backdrop. Starring Emilia Jones and Alison Oliver, Bad Bridgets is history with a punch. 

Inspired by Elaine Farrell and Leanne McCormick’s research project, Bad Bridgets tells the story of two sisters who embark on a treacherous journey to the United States seeking escape from an abusive father, poverty, and hunger. On arrival in New York, they fall in with a group of other Irish women, the so-called “Bridgets,” who are creating mayhem in the city.

Joining Jones and Oliver is an A-list cast — including Colin Farrell, Steve Coogan, Charlie Heaton, Domhnall Gleeson, Himesh Patel, Niamh Algar, and Simone Kirby — that will bring the Bad Bridgets world to life. Read on to learn more details about the film, and keep your eyes peeled for updates.

What is Bad Bridgets about?

When a mysterious letter offering escape leads a young Irish woman to 19th-century New York, she’s pulled into the unruly world of the Bridgets, and mayhem follows in her wake.

Who’s in the cast of Bad Bridgets?

• Emilia Jones (CODA, The Running Man) 
• Alison Oliver (Wuthering Heights, Conversations with Friends)
• Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin, In Bruges) 
• Steve Coogan (Philomena, Legends) 
• Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things, Industry) 
• Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina, Echo Valley)
• Himesh Patel (Yesterday, The Odyssey) 
• Niamh Algar (The Iris Affair, Mary & George)
• Simone Kirby (Kneecap, His Dark Materials)

Who’s the creative team behind Bad Bridgets?

Bad Bridgets is directed, written, and produced by BAFTA winner Rich Peppiatt. Other creative team members include Peppiatt’s Kneecap collaborator and fellow BAFTA winner Ryan Kernaghan (Trespasses) as cinematographer, Academy Award winner James Price (Poor Things) as production designer, and Academy Award winner Kate Hawley (Frankenstein) as costume designer. Cáit Collins is the executive producer. 

The film was developed with support from Queen’s University Belfast and is being produced with support from Northern Ireland Screen. LuckyChap and Coup d’Etat also produce.

Is Bad Bridgets based on a true story?

Bad Bridgets is inspired by history professors Elaine Farrell and Leanne McCormick’s research project — they would later go on to write a nonfiction book, Bad Bridget: Crime, Mayhem and the Lives of Irish Emigrant Women. Their project also inspired the Bad Bridget podcast. These all tell the story of real Irish emigrants to New York, Boston, and Toronto in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This was a time when Irish women frequently outnumbered Irish men in prison. The name “Bridget” comes from an epithet for Irish domestic servants. 

When will Bad Bridgets be on Netflix? 

Bad Bridgets begins production on location in Northern Ireland and Ireland this summer. Keep checking back with Tudum for more details about the release date.