'Peaky Blinders' star Cillian Murphy lands next 'exciting' movie role

Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy has a busy few years ahead of him after taking on another exciting film role.

The Irish actor who will play the central character in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer which is set to release this summer, has just joined the feature film adaptation of Claire Keegan's hopeful novel ‘Small Things Like These.’

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's company Artists Equity has approved the project which will also star Ciarán Hinds and Emily Watson.

A story of hope and quiet heroism, the film is set in Ireland in 1985 and follows Bill Furlong (Murphy), who uncovers information being kept underground by the convent in his town.

Filmmaker Tim Mielants, who worked also with Murphy on Peaky Blinders, is directing while Enda Walsh has written the screenplay.

Murphy expressed his excitement for the project. "I’m honoured and thrilled to have the opportunity to bring Claire Keegan’s magnificent novel to the screen," the actor said.

"We have gathered together a phenomenal team of creatives to make this film, and found exceptional partners in AE, a studio led by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck — actors and filmmakers I have admired for many years."

Murphy is most loved for his portrayal of Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders, which ended in 2022 after six seasons. A planned movie adaptation may be in the works, however, fellow Peaky Blinders actor Daryl McCormack denied having any knowledge about the project.

"It's something I haven't actually heard about. I've been asked multiple times but I've yet to hear any news with regards to that," McCormack said.

In 2011, Murphy won the Irish Times Theatre Award for Best Actor and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance for the one-man play Misterman. In 2020, Murphy was named among one of the greatest Irish film actors by The Irish Times.