The film, a co‑production between Ireland and Australia, follows an AFP officer – played by Madden – as she investigates the audacious robbery of the National Australia Bank‑owned Northern Bank in Belfast just before Christmas 2004.
In the real‑life heist, a gang kidnapped relatives of two bank workers, forced the staff to leave early, and then loaded more than a million pounds in cash from an underground vault onto trolleys disguised as rubbish, taking over two hours to transfer the loot to a waiting truck while carol singers performed nearby in sub‑zero temperatures.
The robbery, described at the time as one of the world’s largest bank robberies, remains unsolved; the Irish Republican Army was suspected but no charges have ever been laid.
‘Chasing Millions’ pairs Madden with veteran British actor Christopher Eccleston, who plays a grizzled Irish detective. The movie is directed by Stephen Burke (known for ‘Maze’) and features original music by Midnight Oil’s Jim Moginie, with the script co‑written by Australian writer Katherine Thomson.
Madden, best known for roles in ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’, ‘Tidelands’ and ‘The Wheel of Time’, said she was approached on short notice and flew to Ireland within three weeks to begin shooting, describing the project as a rare blend of Australian and Irish humour.
The film will debut on opening night of the Irish Film Festival in Sydney (Oct 8‑11) and Melbourne (Oct 22‑25), with online screenings running until Nov 15, before a nationwide cinema release on Nov 19.
Madden also used the Irish shoot to explore her own heritage; she is the granddaughter of Indigenous Australian activist Charles Perkins and comes from a family of prominent artists and filmmakers.