Writer
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.
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.
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.
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.
Co-story, with Paudie Baggott
Supernatural/comedy short film produced with Screen Ireland’s Focus Shorts fund.
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
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.
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.
Writing & Development
15×5′ episodes (10 linear narrative, 5 VR) for sci-fi/crime drama
Groundbreaking series streamed online and broadcast on SyFy
Recognised for Excellence by the Academy of Arts and Science
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: Filmbase/RTÉ Award and broadcast on Shortscreen on RTÉ 2.
NOMINATION: Best Drama at IFTA & BAFTA qualifying Aesthetica Short Film Festival
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.
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.
Writing & Development
VR narratives for Literacy-based art installation, in conjunction with renowned UK creative agencies IDEO and FCB
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.
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 efforts to hide himself away from the rest of the world soon wind up having deadly consequences.
Edited by Eisner nominated writer Jack Briglio.
Read more.
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.
Read More.
| Film & Television | ||
|---|---|---|
| Production | Company | Notes |
| The Dane (2023) | 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. |
| Bean Feasa (2022-2023) | Escape Pod Media/Fisin | 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.
|
| 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 |
| 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 | 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. |
| Halcyon (2016) | Secret Location/SyFy | Writing & Development 15×5′ episodes (10 linear narrative, 5 VR) for sci-fi/crime drama Groundbreaking series streamed online and broadcast on SyFy Recognised for Excellence by the Academy of Arts and Science |
| Zephra (2015) | Filmbase/RTE | 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: Filmbase/RTÉ Award and broadcast on Shortscreen on RTÉ 2. NOMINATION: Best Drama at IFTA & BAFTA qualifying Aesthetica Short Film Festival
|
| 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. |
| Gaming | ||
|---|---|---|
| Production | Company | Notes |
| The Multiversity (2023-2023) | Tailwind/ 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. |
| Project Literacy (2015) | Secret Location | Writing & Development |
| Empire of Sin (2019-2021) | Romero Games/Paradox | Writer & Narrative Designer |
| Comics | ||
|---|---|---|
| Production | Company | Notes |
| 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 efforts to hide himself away from the rest of the world soon wind up having deadly consequences. Edited by Eisner nominated writer Jack Briglio. Read more. |
| Zomben (2016-2016) | Titan1 Studios | Writer & Creator Read More. |