Irish documentary film ‘Knuckles’ has been bought by Rough House Pictures for a remake HBO series.

Since its viewing last week, Knuckles has been stirring a lot of interest amongst the buyers and distributors for its coverage of a long standing family dispute and how it is periodically settled by the families through bareknuckle bouts.

Companies of Gerard Butler, Vin Diesel and Robert Downey Jr were also circling the arena but Rough House’s Matt Reilly won the rights.

The documentary is produceds by Rise Films’ Teddy Leifer and filmed by Ian Palmer. It took 12 years to make. The film traces the dispute between two Irish gypsy (called Travelers) families, primarily two brothers James Quinn and Michael McDonagh, how they periodically taunt each other through videos and verbal abuse into fights. The winner has victor’s pride and bragging rights. It is not clear how the fight started, but it is believed that a woman was involved.

A questioner at the screening asked Palmer: Does he see the vicious cycle ever coming to an end?
“This feuding among family members has gone on for generations, passed on from fathers, from grandfathers, from great-grandfathers,” he said. “There is no resolution. It doesn’t work out like that. Each one picks it up and takes it on.”

The documentary is a ripe pilot for a drama series. Rough House Pictures partners Danny McBride, Jody Hill and David Gordon Green are attached, and HBO will turn the concept into a TV series. Rough House produces Eastbound & Down on HBO.

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