Talk about following in a father’s footsteps. Michael Neeson, son of actor Liam Neeson, has just been set for his first major film role. He will play the role of famed Irish revolutionary Michael Collins in The Rising, reprising the role his father made famous almost 20 years ago in Michael Collins. The film stars Colin Morgan (Merlin), who plays the lead role of Irish freedom fighter Sean McDermott, and David O’Hara (Braveheart) who plays revolutionary leader James Connolly. The historical drama/thriller will be directed by Kevin McCann, from a screenplay by McCann and co-writer Colin Broderick.

The film tells the story of Ireland’s defining historical event in the 20th Century. That was the Easter Rising in 1916, in which a small rebellion sought to free Ireland from centuries of oppressive British imperial rule. The story will form a prequel with the events covered in Michael Collins (1996) and the Palme D’Or winner The Wind That Shakes The Barley (2006). McDermott masterminded the Easter Rising and was a hero to the leaders of Ireland’s War of Independence, including Michael Collins. If the younger Neeson plays his cards right, he can look forward to a long career as an esteemed actor. Then when he hits around 60, he will make more money than ever by becoming one of Hollywood’s biggest action stars. Just like the old man did.

Read the original article at Deadline Hollywood.