material and lack of strong characterization. The film deals with themes of unemployment and self-worth, as Brendan "Bimbo" Reeves (Donal O'Kelly) and Larry (Colm Meaney) cope with losing their jobs and embark on a partnership to sell fried food from the eponymous van. The film also stars Ger Ryan, Rúaidhrí Conroy, Brendan O'Carroll, Stuart Dunne, Marie Mullen, and Jon Kenny. Mooted sequel In January 2000, Harvey Weinstein acquired the film rights to The Commitments for Miramax and commissioned playwright Warren Leight to write a direct sequel to the film, with Cathy Konrad attached as a producer. The premise involved several members of The Commitments pairing with new band members before going on tour in the United States. The project subsequently entered development hell. Novels The Commitments (1988) Following the 1988 publication of Roddy Doyle's novel The Commitments (1987) in the United Kingdom, producers Lynda Myles and Roger Randall-Cutler acquired the film rights, and asked Doyle to write an adaptation. Doyle, an inexperienced screenwriter, spent one year drafting the script, accompanied by Myles and Randall-Cutler. Although a script was completed, Myles felt it needed improvement, and passed the book on to Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, hoping that they would suggest a more experienced writer. Upon reading the novel, Clement and La Frenais agreed to help write the script themselves. The Snapper (1990) The Snapper revolves around unmarried twenty-year-old Sharon Rabbitte's pregnancy, and the unexpected effects this has on her conservative, working class Dublin family. The Van (1991) The Van focuses on the elder Jimmy Rabbitte and his efforts at going into business with his best friend Bimbo, after both lose their jobs. It was shortlisted for the Booker Prize (1991). Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha (1993) Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha is a novel written by Roddy Doyle. It is a spin-off following one year in the life of a Dublin ten-year-old, Patrick "Paddy" Clarke, as he explores Barrytown through his parents' divorce, encountering various characters from the Barrytown series of novels. The Guts (2013) Set 30 years later, The Guts follows the younger Jimmy Rabbitte as he is suffering from bowel cancer. The novel was named Novel of the Year at the 2013 Irish Book Awards. Short stories Throughout the early 2010s, Doyle frequently posted short comic dialogues on his Facebook page between two older men in a Barrytown pub, often relating to current events in Ireland (such