Finnian passed away after his brave battle with cancer earlier this year
Hope Street has announced it will pay tribute to late star Finnian Garbutt in its first-ever film.
The Co Down drama, which follows the life of police officers in the fictional town of Port Devine, has announced filming will begin for its first feature-length special ‘One of Our Own’ this week.
This special film will also include scenes filmed with Finnian Garbutt, who died earlier this year after his battle with cancer.
The 28-year-old, from Bangor, became a beloved face on the show since joining the cast in 2023 as PC Ryan Power.
Finnian spotted a lump behind his ear at the end of 2020 but thought it was an ingrown hair – when lockdown eased and he was able to return to his barber shop for a haircut, he became concerned when his barber noticed the lump had grown “quite substantially.”
At 25, he was diagnosed with malignant melanoma and has used his platform to speak out and raise awareness in other young people.
He passed away peacefully surrounded by his family in April and is remembered as the “greatest husband, father, son, brother, and friend we could ever ask for”.
Comedians Paddy Raff and Tim McGarry will make their Hope Street debuts in the fictional town of Port Devine, as they guest star as The Commodore’s new chef and barman Malcolm McQueen and Port Devine’s minister the Reverend Dodds.
The one-off film special is a co-commission between BBC Northern Ireland, BBC Daytime, Northern Ireland Screen and BritBox.
It will air on BBC One Northern Ireland and BBC Daytime later this autumn following a theatrical release in cinemas across Northern Ireland in September 2026, with further cinematic releases across the UK in October 2026.
The story opens with a violent crime committed against a much-loved local and the police investigation brings bad news for Detective Sergeant Marlene Pettigrew. Love is also in the air and there’s a wedding to plan, but this is Port Devine, what could possibly go wrong?
The feature film has been written by Paul Marquess, who said: “How brilliant to be shooting Hope Street The Movie!
“Hope Street has always celebrated Northern Ireland wit, wisdom and talent – and One Of Our Own will continue that tradition.
“It’s a joy to rejoin our friends in Port Devine and to get to work with our hugely talented cast and crew once again.”
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