Murphy teams up with Craig and Williams
Cillian Murphy is assembling what could be one of the most electrifying ensembles of the next few years, anchoring Damien Chazelle’s mysterious new prison drama alongside Daniel Craig and the recently announced Michelle Williams. For Murphy, fresh off his Oscar-winning turn in OPPENHEIMER, this marks a fascinating pivot into what insiders suggest will be a contained, pressure-cooker environment that could showcase the intensity he’s become known for in an entirely new context. The Irish actor has long excelled at portraying men caught in moral and psychological vise grips, from his haunted gangster in PEAKY BLINDERS to the tormented physicist grappling with history’s weight, and a prison setting promises to be the ultimate crucible for that particular talent.
Chazelle’s decision to pursue this project tells its own story about Murphy’s draw as a leading man. The director had been juggling multiple high-profile possibilities, including an Evel Knievel biopic that had Leonardo DiCaprio circling the lead, but once Murphy and Craig committed to the prison film, everything else fell away. That speaks volumes about what Murphy brings to a project now—not just the technical brilliance and emotional precision that won him Academy recognition, but the kind of gravity that makes a filmmaker abandon other star-studded vehicles to focus entirely on bringing his vision to life with this particular actor at the center. Chazelle, who earned his reputation crafting searing character studies in WHIPLASH and LA LA LAND, clearly sees something in Murphy that demands this story be told with him, and the fact that Williams signed on right before the holidays suggests the script is worth abandoning safer bets for.
The secrecy surrounding the project only amplifies the intrigue around Murphy’s involvement. With production expected to begin later this year through Chazelle’s Wild Chickens Productions banner and Paramount handling distribution, details remain tantalizingly sparse beyond the prison setting. But that’s exactly where Murphy has always thrived—in the shadows and silences, in the spaces between words where tension builds and characters reveal themselves through microexpressions and coiled energy. Pairing him with Craig, another actor who commands the screen through sheer presence rather than volume, suggests Chazelle is building something that will rely on the kind of restrained, combustible performances both men excel at delivering. The fact that A-list talent continues rushing to join Chazelle’s projects, with Williams representing just the latest coup, means Murphy will be surrounded by the caliber of actors who can match his intensity scene for scene, creating the conditions for the kind of ensemble fireworks that only happen when everyone involved knows they’re working at the highest level. Whatever this untitled drama ultimately becomes, it’s shaping up as another defining chapter in Murphy’s remarkable ascent from character actor to undeniable leading force in cinema.
DERRY GIRLS darling @nicolacoughlan returns to our TVs in I AM HELEN.
This critically acclaimed BAFTA-winning anthology series pairs Coughlan with PEAKY BLINDERS star Joe Cole!
Watch new trailer now via 🔗︎ in bio!
BROOKLYN fans, this one is for you 🎬
Caitríona Balfe is back in a Colm Tóibín adaptation, and A LONG WINTER lands in cinemas this January 2027. Based on Tóibín’s 2006 short story, the film casts Caitríona as Louise, a mother at the heart of a stark, emotional drama.
More details via 🔗︎ in bio!
Mayo`s own @philippa.dunne is pure joy!
On this week`s @latelaterte, Philippa shares childhood memories of growing up in Mayo that shaped her, and what it’s really like to bring unforgettable characters to life on screen.
If you love Irish screen stories told by the people who live them, watch now via 🔗︎ in bio!
Everyone`s favourite Andrew returns to the @britishfilminstitute London Film Festival with his new film ELSINORE.
Few actors of the stage and screen have attracted as much acclaim in recent years as Andrew Scott, both for the emotional depth of his performances and for the subtlety and nuance he brings to them.
Watch now via 🔗︎ in bio!
Like father, like son!
Aran Murphy is following in his father Cillian`s footsteps with a major role in the new @sharonhorgan show YOUTH.
The 19-year-old is relatively new to the acting world but has had a very busy few months as of late, stepping out on red carpets and giving plenty of interviews for his first roles.
Let`s hear it for Ireland`s next wave of amazing acting talent!
Colin Farrell hit the @thegrahamnortonshowofficial couch this weekend!
Farrell reveals a new haircut (!) and how he was initially reluctant to take accept his role in the classic IN BRUGES.
Watch now via 🔗︎ in bio!
One question that has haunted Ireland for decades ⚖️
In RE-CREATION, the new film from Jim Sheridan, the story is built on the real 1996 murder of Sophie Toscan Du Plantier, and Colm Meaney never hands you a verdict. The veteran actor trusts you to argue it out yourself 🎬
More details via 🔗︎ in bio!
“This is the Ireland I always believed existed.”
July 13, 1985. Two stadiums. One mission. Queen, U2, Bowie, Elton John, Madonna, McCartney, all on one day to fight famine in Ethiopia. And five Irish women who wanted to donate their wedding rings!
More details of Bob Geldof`s LATE LATE SHOW appearance via 🔗︎ in bio!
Let’s hear it for Jamie Dornan 👏
He’s back as an American career criminal, always one step ahead, in 12 12 12 on Apple TV, going toe to toe with Anthony Mackie in a cat-and-mouse game across Europe. And this time he’s also an executive producer, helping shape the story as well as starring in it.
NEW trailer via 🔗︎ in bio!
