Principal photography has begun on Roland Emmerich's drama Stonewall.  The film stars Jeremy Irvine (War Horse) as a young runaway who finds his way to the Stonewall Inn and is eventually swept up in events that would lead to the historic 1969 Stonewall Riots, which were a turning point in gay civil rights.  Although Emmerich is known for being able to blow stuff up real good, his first historical drama, Anonymous, wasn't bad, and Stonewall has been a passion project for the director some time.  It's always admirable when a filmmaker breaks away from his or her comfort zone, and the story of the Stonewall Riots is definitely one worth telling.

Hit the jump for the press release, which also reveals that Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Dracula), Joey King (White House Down), and Ron Perlman have joined the cast.

stonewall-riots

Here's the press release:

PRODUCTION COMMENCES ON CENTROPOLIS ENTERTAINMENT’S

STONEWALL

DIRECTED BY ROLAND EMMERICH

STARRING JEREMY IRVINE

JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS, RON PERLMAN & JOEY KING JOIN CAST

MONTREAL, Canada (June 3, 2014) – Principal photography has commenced on STONEWALL, directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Jeremy Irvine (War Horse). Actors Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Match Point, “The Tudors”) Ron Perlman (Hellboy), and Joey King (White House Down) have joined the cast, which also includes Jonny Beauchamp (How to Make It in America), Caleb Landry Jones (X-Men: First Class), and up-and-comers Karl Glusman, Vlademir Alexis, and Alexandre Nachi.  Written by Jon Robin Baitz, STONEWALL is produced by Michael Fossat, Marc Frydman, Emmerich, and Carsten Lorenz; and executive producers are Kirstin Winkler, Adam Press and Michael Roban.

STONEWALL is a drama about a young man in New York caught up during the 1969 Stonewall Riots, a pivotal event widely considered the starting point for the modern gay civil rights movement. Kicked out of his own home, young Danny Winters (Jeremy Irvine) flees to NY, leaving behind his beloved sister (Joey King). Homeless and destitute, he befriends a group of street kids who soon introduce him to the watering hole of the local drag queens, gays, lesbians, and everything in between: The Stonewall Inn. However, this shady, mafia-run club is far from a safe-haven. At the bar, Danny meets the suave Trevor (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) before catching the eye of Ed Murphy (Ron Perlman), Stonewall's repulsive manager who colludes with corrupt police, exploits homeless youth for financial gain, and is even suspected to have had a hand in some of their "disappearances." It spirals out of control when the police unexpectedly raid Stonewall. In a storm of anger and with the toss of a single brick, a riot ensues and a crusade for equality is born.

The STONEWALL creative team includes Director of Photography, Markus Förderer; Production Designer, Michelle Laliberté; Editor Dominique Fortin; and Costume Designer, Simonetta Mariano. The production films in and around Montreal, including Lachine and Howick, Quebec.