30 November 2020
Newsdesk
Johnny Depp's movie about The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan will feature subtitles, amid fears viewers won't be able to understand his English-Irish accent.
Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan, directed by Julien Temple and produced by Depp, was initially sent to press in the U.K. without subtitles. However, after some complained that it was hard to work out what the Fairytale of New York singer was saying at points, subtitles were added for the upcoming cinema and U.S. release.
Speaking to the BBC, Temple acknowledged that MacGowan's "strange mixture of Irish and English" could be an "acquired listening skill" at times.
"We certainly knew that in the States we would have to possibly subtitle it," he said. "In the end it is a decision for the distributors to make."
When it's released on-demand and on DVD on 7 December, viewers will be given the choice of whether or not they want to use the subtitles. It remains to be seen whether or not BBC Four will choose to use the subtitles when they show it next year.
Magnolia Pictures will be distributing the documentary, which won the Special Prize of the Jury at the San Sebastian Film Festival in September, in North America.
