Cillian Murphy to Star in ‘Blood Runs Coal’

Oscar-winning actor Cillian Murphy is all set to star in and produce ‘Blood Runs Coal’, an adaptation of the non-fiction book.

Universal has acquired the rights to the book. The project is based on the 2020 book Blood Runs Coal: The Yablonski Murders and the Battle for the United Mine Workers of America.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, author Mark A. Bradley’s book follows the 1969 murder of mining union organizer Joseph “Jock” Yablonski, who was killed at home with his wife and daughter. The killings followed Yablonski campaigning against a corrupt union leader, and sparked a lengthy investigation that unveiled shady dealings within the coal industry.

John Davis and Jordan Davis will produce via Davis Entertainment. Murphy and Alan Moloney will produce via Big Things Films. Bradley will executive produce.

With this project, Murphy is once again mining the non-fiction space for his work after ‘Oppenheimer’ for which he bagged his first Oscar earlier this month.

In Christopher Nolan’s film, he portrayed the role of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the US physicist who masterminded the atomic bomb.

At the Academy Awards, Murphy triumphed over Bradley Cooper (Maestro), Colman Domingo (Rustin), Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers) and Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction). He became the third Irish actor to win the best actor Oscar, following Daniel Day-Lewis, who was born in London but holds Irish citizenship, and Barry Fitzgerald who won in 1945.

Murphy will also reprise his role of Tommy Shelby in ‘Peaky Blinders’ film.

Speaking to Birmingham World at the premiere of his new BBC drama ‘The Town’, ‘Peaky Blinders’ creator Steven Knight recently confirmed that Cillian Murphy will be reprising his beloved role in the upcoming film version of the British crime drama, Variety reported.

“He definitely is returning for it. We’re shooting it in September just down the road in Digbeth,” Knight confirmed.

‘Peaky Blinders’ originally premiered on BBC Two overseas (its final two seasons moved to BBC One), but after the show arrived on Netflix its popularity exploded. The series finale aired in April 2022, but Knight never hid his intentions to continue the story in a movie.