Cillian Murphy to star in Blood Runs Coal adaptation
The newly minted Oscar-winner will also produce the new historical drama.
It has been reported that Cillian Murphy has already lined up a new epic film following his Oscars win for playing the titular character in Oppenheimer, with an adaptation of the book Blood Runs Coal: The Yablonski Murders and the Battle for the United Mine Workers of America.
The 2020 non-fiction book tells the story of a union leader Tony Boyle, who was convicted in 1974 of charges of conspiracy in the murder of Joseph A Yablonski, Yablonski's wife Margaret, and their daughter Charlotte. Yablonski's son Chip later made it his mission to find justice for the death of his father.
Murphy will reportedly be producing as well as starring as Chip, while the script is said to be coming from brothers Jez Butterworth (Ford v Ferrari) and John-Henry Butterworth (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny), who have previously teamed up on a number of projects.
According to Deadline, a pre-emptive acquisition deal was done for the book two days before Murphy won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in Oppenheimer.
This isn't the only film role Murphy has coming up – he is also starring in Small Things like These, a historical drama film which is expected to be released this year.
Read more:
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Then, of course, there's the small matter of the Peaky Blinders film, following on from Steven Knight's hit BBC series, which came to an end in 2022.
There had been some question marks over Murphy's involvement in the film, but Knight reassured fans when speaking during the premiere for his new BBC series This Town.
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Knight told BirminghamWorld: "[Cillian] definitely is returning for it. We're shooting it in September just down the road in Digbeth."
For his own part, Murphy told CBS News in February: "It's always about the story. It's always about the script. If [Steven] feels like there's more story for Tommy, then I'll be there."
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
