Cillian Murphy has several film projects lined up to tide fans over during the break
Irish actor Cillian Murphy has revealed that he'll be taking a year-long break from acting. The Oscar winner made the admission whilst doing promotion for his new Netflix film 'Steve'.
According to the official Netflix synopsis, the upcoming film will focus on 'a headteacher (Murphy) at a reform school who struggles to keep his students in line while dealing with his own mental health'.
The drama which will take place over the course of a single pivotal day is a screen adaptation of the 2023 Max Porter novel, 'Shy'.
Speaking to Deadline as part of the press tour, Murphy said: "I'm kind of taking the year off, I'm doing this work but I'm not actually acting on anything which is nice for a while. I'm just waiting for Tim Mielants to cast me in his next film."
'Steve' will mark the second occasion that Murphy and director Mielants have collaborated following the release of 'Small Things like These' last year.
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The film explored the dark history of the Magdalene Laundries through the eyes of a coal merchant in rural Ireland played by Murphy in an adaptation of the 2021 Claire Keegan novel of the same name.
The Cork actor spoke fondly of working with the Belgian filmmaker in the Deadline interview commenting: "We got very, very lucky that we got this incredible director, I think there's something in the relationship I have with Tim that manifests in these films and I'm really proud of that."
Despite the break, Murphy has plenty of things in the pipeline over the next year. He set up his own production company called 'Big Things Films' along with collaborator Alan Moloney.
The Oscar and Golden Globe winner also bought the Phoenix cinema in Dingle, County Kerry with his wife Yvonne McGuinness. It's a theatre that Murphy frequented often throughout his childhood and plans are now in place to turn it into a not-for-profit community arts centre.
When asked if they were progressing on reviving the iconic venue, Murphy told Deadline: "Yeah we are, we're working away. We're just doing public consultation now with the community and we're fully, fully engaged in it. It'll take a while but we're determined to get it going."
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As far as other upcoming projects, the Peaky Blinders film where Murphy will reprise his iconic role as Tommy Shelby is expected to be released in late 2025, early 2026 and will feature fellow Irishman Barry Keoghan as part of the cast.
The Oppenheimer actor also confirmed his involvement in the '28 Years Later' sequel titled 'The Bone Temple' and teased that he would take the lead in the final film of the trilogy if its greenlit. This could potentially be his first role when he returns to acting following the break.
Steve is set to premiere in select cinemas on September 19 before releasing worldwide through Netflix on October 3.
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