Latest news with #CillianMurphy
Extra.ie
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Cillian Murphy's Netflix movie added to critically acclaimed film festival lineup
Cillian Murphy's next feature film is after getting quite the boost as it's been added to the acclaimed Toronto International Film Festival's 2025 lineup. Many an Oscar nominated film has had its world premiere at the Canadian film fest, so it's setting things up nicely for the Cork native's upcoming film Steve. Steve, which is adapted from Mac Porter's bestseller Shy, comes from the Belgian director Tim Mielants (who also worked with Murphy on Small Things Like These and Peaky Blinders) and stars Tracey Ullman alongside the Irish Oscar winner. Cillian Murphy. Pic:The feature will be competing in the Platform competition at TIFF '25 and will be the segment's opening film. The official synopsis states: 'Set in the mid-90s, [Steve] follows a pivotal day in the life of headteacher Steve (Cillian Murphy) and his students at a last-chance reform school amidst a world that has forsaken them. 'As Steve fights to protect the school's integrity and impending closure, we witness him grappling with his own mental health. Cillian Murphy as Steve. Pic: Robert Viglasky/Neflix 'In parallel to Steve's struggles, we meet Shy (Jay Lycurgo), a troubled teen caught between his past and what lies ahead as he tries to reconcile his inner fragility with his impulse for self-destruction and violence.' Murphy not only stars in the film, but he also act as producer through his Big Things Films company alongside partner Alan Moloney. Simbi Ajikawo and Emily Watson aslo star.
Irish Independent
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
‘The 2000s were not very kind to Irish models. Ibiza offered so many more opportunities' – Rachel Montague on making her home on the party island
Actor/model/dancer — for some, that kind of hyphenate draws an eye-roll. But in today's entertainment landscape, the rise of the multidisciplinary performer is undeniable. Just look at Cillian Murphy (actor/producer/author), Antonia Campbell-Hughes (designer/actress/director) or current Irish superstars Kneecap (rappers/activists/actors). Rachel Montague, too, takes the old cliche and flips it on its head.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
From ‘unpublishable' to acclaim and starry adaptations: Max Porter's Grief is the Thing With Feathers at 10
The final words of Max Porter's Grief is the Thing With Feathers are 'Unfinished. Beautiful. Everything'. So it has been for the slender novella, about a father and his sons grieving the loss of their wife and mother. Somewhat improbably for an experimental hybrid of poem and prose featuring a giant talking crow, Porter's debut has not only been a massive success, but has continued to evolve. Since it was published a decade ago, it's been translated into 36 languages and adapted for stage and screen, including a theatre show starring Oscar winner Cillian Murphy and a film starring Benedict Cumberbatch, due for release later this year. The book's latest evolution is an Australian stage adaptation, premiering at Sydney's Belvoir St Theatre this month. There have already been five stage productions, and a dance adaptation and Slovenian puppet version are on the way; an opera is in development. All this seems remarkable to Porter. 'You know, Grief was not even a publishable proposition to most people that looked at it first,' he says. Porter was more aware than most debut writers of the odds stacked against his novel: he was working in publishing when he wrote it, and keenly aware how his book's fragmentary narrative and experimental prose – which the Guardian described at the time as 'a freewheeling hybrid of novella, poem, essay and play-for-voices' – was risky. Then there's its dense threading of literary references and allusions – and the anthropomorphic crow, inspired by Ted Hughes' 1970 poem cycle Crow. Porter wrote Grief in the gaps of a busy life working in publishing and fathering two young boys, inspired by his experience of losing his father as a child and by his relationship with his brother. In the story, a writer and his two young sons grappling with fresh grief are visited by a human-sized talking crow, who takes up residence in their flat and assumes the role of therapist and babysitter – or as Porter has described him, 'Lady in Black and Mary Poppins, analyst and vandal'. The story chimed with readers, finding an audience as much through personal recommendations as through rave reviews and awards (including the £30,000 International Dylan Thomas prize). Dua Lipa, introducing the novel to her book club audience in April, described it as a 'lyrical, surreal meditation on loss' that simultaneously broke her heart and made her laugh. Reflecting on the enduring appeal and many adaptations, Porter says: 'I guess the imaginary crow and, you know, the everlasting conundrum of human grief, is enough for people to want to play around with still.' Most authors are happy to leave adaptations to others, approving the parameters of the project and then stepping away. Not Porter: he likes to muck in. 'I'm 98% collaboration,' he says – perhaps surprisingly, given he's published four books in the last decade, and just finished his fifth. 'Like, occasionally I will find myself on my own, needing to get some work done, but generally I want to be working with others.' Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning He sat in on early workshops of the Irish stage version with Cillian Murphy and director Enda Walsh, attended a work-in-progress showing of the dance version premiering in Birmingham next year, and has had several chats with the Belvoir team over the show's long gestation. That's not to say he's proscriptive about adaptations: 'I always say this: the book is yours. It's supposed to be fluid and pull-apart-able,' he says. 'It's a book with lots of white space so that the reader can do that work, anyway. You know, it's your flat, it's your sibling relationship. It's your crow.' Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion But for Porter – a 43-year-old who converses with the enthusiasm of a preteen boy – discussing his work with other artists and storytellers is energising. 'I had a Zoom chat with [Australian director Simon Phillips] the other day, and it was like, right into the belly of the thing – right into the syntax of it, and the meaning behind some of Crow's language and some of the dad's material. And I was like, this is right back to being interesting again for me,' he says. The Belvoir production, co-adapted by Phillips with lighting and set designer Nick Schlieper and actor Toby Schmitz, will feature video, illustrations and a live cellist on stage. Schmitz, playing both Dad and Crow, says the production is infused with the make-believe spirit of theatre and child's play. 'Sleight of hand, misdirection, all the old theatre magic tricks come into play. Can a blanket be not just a blanket? What can a feather be? … There's something incredible about the suspension of disbelief in theatre.' Schmitz, who also works part-time in his family's bookstore in Newtown, heard about Porter's novel from customers long before he read it: 'People are always asking for it,' he says. 'The book is so magnificent, the text is so unique and delicious … I think it lends itself wonderfully – quite effortlessly – to performance.' He relates to the character of Dad, a 'literary boffin type figure', as both an author (his novel The Empress Murders was published in May) and a father – at time of speaking, juggling rehearsals with the whirlwind of school holidays. Crow is something more mysterious, however – 'full of infinite possibility,' he says. 'I've been swinging from Mary Poppins to Tom Hardy thuggery.' Porter, who will visit Sydney for the play's opening, says he's excited to see what the Australian team have made of his novel. 'I think I find something different every time,' he says of the story's various iterations. 'It's still interesting – it's not like a piece of dead, old, early work. For me, it feels like a living, breathing proposition still, that keeps moving.' Grief is the Thing with Feathers is on at Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney, 26 July to 24 August
Pink Villa
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Harry Potter TV Series: Cillian Murphy or Matt Smith? Fans Guess Voldemort Casting as HBO Locks Actor But Keeps it Hidden
The Harry Potter TV series has kept the fans intrigued over the casting of Voldemort. According to media reports, HBO has locked in an actor to play the villainous character, but the makers will not reveal the identity ahead of time. While the show based on J.K. Rowling 's novels is highly anticipated, fans wonder if Cillian Murphy or Matt Smith will play the role of the main antagonist. As the guessing game continues over the actor playing Voldemort, it is clear that Ralph Fiennes, who portrayed the character in the Harry Potter movies, will not reprise his role in the TV show. Who will play Voldemort in the Harry Potter TV series? Amid the secrecy around the star playing the role of Voldemort, media reports claim that it is deliberate strategy of the makers. The decision echoes the character's 'He Who Must Not Be Named' tagline, reinforcing the aura of mystery and fear surrounding Voldemort's identity. Meanwhile, the rumors circulating on the internet have provided two names, who could be the perfect fit for the role. The character could be convincingly portrayed by either Matt Smith or Cillian Murphy, according to fans. The Oscar-winning star was particularly the pick between the two, which even Fiennes approved. Previously, it was reported that Murphy was roped in for the character of Professor Quirrell. Though no confirmation was given by the Warner Bros. Studios, the CEO, Channing Dungey, said, 'We're still weighing a couple of different options there, so we're not quite ready there yet. That's an important role to get right.' Later, it was confirmed that the role went to Luke Thallon. What is the Harry Potter TV series about? The Harry Potter TV series was announced first in 2023, and since then, the fans have been excited over the wizard story returning to the screens. Earlier this month, HBO released the first looks of Harry Potter and Rubeus Hagrid, portrayed by Dominic McLaughlin and Nick Frost, respectively. The storyline of the show will be based on the novels by the popular author, Rowling. Each of the seven books will be adapted into a separate season. The show will be debuted on the TV screens in 2027.
Digital Trends
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
This Cillian Murphy underrated thriller is your next movie to watch on Netflix (July 18-20)
Every time I open Netflix, I find myself spending more time looking at movies than I do actually watching something. Forcing myself to pick something is usually more than half the battle, and part of the issue is that I make assumptions about movies I haven't seen. With that in mind, I've pulled together three movies that I think are worth checking out this weekend, if you've got the time. They're definitely underrated but well worth your time: Recommended Videos We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on HBO Max, and the best movies on Disney+. Red Eye (2005) One of the great underseen thrillers of the 21st century, Red Eye tells the story of a terrorist who threatens a hotel manager as they fly across the country together. His ultimate goal is to assassinate the head of Homeland Security, but in order to accomplish that, she has to reassign his room at the hotel she manages. Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy are both excellent in this taut thriller, but what makes this movie work is Wes Craven's tight, succinct directorial instincts. This is a thriller with an electric pace, and it knows how to get you from incident to incident. You can watch Red Eye on Netflix. A Star Is Born (2018) Bradley Cooper was already a major movie star when he helmed A Star Is Born, but that didn't make the movie any less of a gamble. This was his directorial debut, a remake of a movie that had already been made perfectly on more than one occasion, and oh yeah, he was also going to play a rock star. If the movie was even sort of good, it would be an achievement, but A Star Is Born is genuinely great and features Cooper and Lady Gaga at their absolute best. The Shallow sequence is one of the great musical sequences ever put to film, and the film knows how to capitalize on that momentum. You can watch A Star Is Born on Netflix. Burn After Reading (2008) Every Coen Brothers movie is great, but Burn After Reading is among the more underrated. This satire of Washington, D.C., and specifically of the intelligence state, tells the story of two gym employees who find themselves in possession of classified materials and decide to use that information to try to make a quick buck. Predictably, though, these employees find themselves in way over their heads, and things quickly spiral out of control. Thanks to a cast filled with brilliant performances, including one of Brad Pitt's funniest ever roles, Burn After Reading is both hilarious and an exercise in genuine nihilism. You can watch Burn After Reading on Netflix.
