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Mike Heneghan

Writer, Children's, Preschool, 6+ years, Animation, Live Action

Agent: Jean Kitson - jean@kitsonpress.co.uk

Email Agent

Mike is an award-winning Irish writer who grounds supernatural and fantastic ideas in fallible characters to explore universal truths about human experience (and sometimes that’s funny).

He graduated from Ireland’s National Film School with The Award for Academic Excellence before working in a variety of media with the likes of Disney, SyFy, RTÉ, Zodiak, and Telegael.

Highlights include a nomination for Best Writer for an Animated Series at the Irish Animation Awards for his first ever animation script, creating a comic book universe where every end of the world happened at once (it’s okay, we survived), writing the world’s first hybrid Broadcast/VR/Webseries for SyFy, being on the launch team with BAFTA winning games studio Romero Games, and adapting a New York Times bestselling fantasy series for TV.

As of 2023 he has a live action comedy/action feature film in development with Screen Ireland, and an Irish language supernatural drama in development with TG4. He will attend the Reykjavik Talent Lab with another supernatural drama feature film, based on a proof of concept short which is on the Oscars longlist after winning “Best Irish Short Film” at the Foyle Film Festival 2023.

He’s created multi-pocalypses, solved real crimes with virtual cops, triggered a super strong baby chicken rampage, designed curriculums for a university of the multiverse, and sent a vampire hunter on a Welsh valley steam-train holiday he took himself (you should go, it’s lovely).

His sweetest spot as a writer is high-concept adventures with a sense of humour, because you get to have imagination, you get to have real story and emotional stakes, and you get to have fun.

View website here.

Work

Writing Credits - Animation / Games / Comics / Film

The Dane (2023)
Escape Pod Media / Screen Ireland

Writer

Action/comedy feature film currently in development with Escape Pod Media and Screen Ireland.

A woman conflicted about her pregnancy goes on a life-threatening journey into her past after welcoming her estranged uncle back into her life, unaware that he is a notorious hitman known as The Dane.

Cubs (2023)
Escape Pod Media / TG4

Writer & Co-Creator with Daniel Butler

Supernatural/drama TV series currently in development with Escape Pod Media and TG4.

A determined woman fights to raise her werewolf children amidst mounting danger from her repressive clan.

The Multiversity (2022-2023)
Tailwind / The Sandbox

Writer & Narrative Designer

Created characters, wrote stories and dialogue, and outlined overarching narrative for multiple releases of this light-hearted sci-fi/fantasy adventure video game with studio Talewind for the platform The Sandbox.

Atom Town (2022)
Turnip + Duck / RTÉ

Writer of 2 x 5? episodes of new animated comedy series from Turnip + Duck

Bean Feasa (2022-2023)
Escape Pod Media / Físín

Co-writer, with Daniel Butler

Supernatural/drama short film funded by the Físín Irish language film fund.

The sceptical daughter of a traditional healer has her certainties challenged when she encounters one of ‘The Good People’.

WINNER ‘Best Irish Short Film’ Foyle Film Festival 2022

A feature film version is currently in development with the Reykjavik Talent Lab 2023.

Peat (2022-2023)
Escape Pod Media / Screen Ireland

Co-story, with Paudie Baggott

Supernatural/comedy short film produced with Screen Ireland’s Focus Shorts fund.

Shooting July 2023.

Let The Wrong One In (2020)
Tailored Films

Additional Writing

Worked closely with writer/director Conor McMahon on his horror/comedy feature film, impacting story structure, conceiving and reconceiving characters, and writing jokes and dialogue.

NOMINATION LTWOI went on to be nominated for Best Script at the Irish Film & Television Academy Awards 2023

Empire of Sin (2019-2021)
Romero Games / Paradox

Writer & Narrative Designer

Created characters, wrote stories and dialogue, and outlined overarching narrative for multiple releases of this critically acclaimed prohibition era crime video game with Romero Games.

Red Sisters (2021)
Red Ted Media / Screen Ireland

Writing & Development

On a dying ice planet, three magically gifted novices in an order of guardian nuns face bloodshed and betrayal to challenge corrupt power structures in order to forge new alliances and save their world.

Mike adapted the New York Times bestselling Penguin/Random House fantasy novel trilogy “The Book of the Ancestor”, developing a supernatural/drama television series pilot and bible for a potential five seasons with co-writer Maura McHugh.

Supported by Screen Ireland support through RedTed Media.

Afterlife (2020)
Escape Pod Media / Clones Film Commission

Writer

A dead man wakes to discover he’s a vampire only to struggle to follow through with his dreams of escape.

Horror/comedy short film that won funding from the Clones Film Commission and was shot on location in Clones, Co. Monaghan.

It had its international Premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival, its Irish Premiere at the Cork International Film Festival, and went on to play internationally at festivals including Screamfest LA.

View trailer here.

BuddyKar (2020)
Markosia Press

Writer

Sci-fi/comedy graphic short, published as part of the FLIP! speculative fiction anthology.

An isolated man masquerades as the AI for a self-driving car, but his e?orts to hide himself away from the rest of the world soon wind up having deadly consequences.

Edited by Eisner nominated writer Jack Briglio.

View pages here.

YoYo (2019)
Rai / Telegael

Writer of 3 x 7’ episodes of pre-school comedy series for RAI.

Space Chickens in Space (2017-2018)
Cake Entertainment / Disney

Writer of 3 x 11? episodes of animated sci-fi/comedy.

NOMINATION Best Writer for an Animated Series at the Irish Animation Awards 2019 for the episode ‘Alpha Chuck’

Zomben (2016-2017)
Titan1 Studios

Writer & Creator

Critically acclaimed comic book series about an unaging (and undead) boy, survivor of the end(s) of the world, hoping to find friends but fearing his true nature.

Established “The Multipocalypse Universe”, currently being exploited in games, VR, and live-action Film & TV.

View pages and details here.

Halcyon (2016)
Secret Location / SyFy

Writing & Development

15 x 5? episodes (10 Linear Narrative, 5 Virtual Reality) for sci-fi/crime drama.

Groundbreaking series streamed on-line and broadcast on SyFy.

Recognised for Excellence by The Academy of Arts & Sciences

Project Literacy (2015)
Secret Location

Writing & Development

VR narratives for Literacy-based art installation, in conjunction with renowned UK creative agencies IDEO and FCB

Zephra (2013)
Filmbase / RTÉ

Writer

30’ live action sci-fi/drama short film

When his water supply is contaminated John must leave his isolated mountain home to survive, facing that which he fears the most: people.

Winner of the Filmbase/RTÉ Award and broadcast on Shortscreen on RTÉ 2.

NOMINATION: Best Drama at IFTA & BAFTA qualifying Aesthetica Short Film Festival

View trailer here.

Fighting for Peace (2012)
TG4

Co-writer and Video Editor for 52? broadcast documentary

Fighting for Peace is the story of Ireland’s first UN peacekeepers and the dramatic events during the four years of the Congo Campaign, 1960 to 1964.