Summary

  • Cillian Murphy transitions from Oppenheimer to Blood Runs Coal, a historical drama set in Pennsylvania's coal mines in the 1960s.
  • Murphy will star and produce in the film adaptation of the book Blood Runs Coal, focusing on the Yablonski Murders and the United Mine Workers.
  • Following his Oscar-winning performance in Oppenheimer, Murphy's gravitas as a dramatic actor will continue to shine in his upcoming role.

Cillian Murphy finds his next dramatic role in the historical narrative Blood Runs Coal. Murphy is coming off his part in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, wherein he played titular physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. The actor won an Oscar for Best Actor for Oppenheimer, marking his first Oscar win.

Per Deadline, Murphy is set to lead the upcoming drama Blood Runs Coal. Universal Pictures will produce the movie, which is an adaptation of the book Blood Runs Coal: The Yablonski Murders and the Battle for the United Mine Workers of America. In addition to starring, Murphy will also serve as a producer on the film.

Oppenheimer also won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr.

Why Oppenheimer Will Prepare Murphy Well for Blood Runs Coal

Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer holding his pipe

Blood Runs Coal is set in the 1960s in Pennsylvania's coal mines. United Mine Workers leader Joseph Yablonski is murdered alongside his wife and 25-year-old daughter. This leads to chaos as the mining industry is shaken up and the idea of the American labor union is redefined in the aftermath of the Yablonskis’ blood-soaked fate. Murphy will likely play Joseph “Jock” Yablonski, as he is the epicenter of the book.

Blood Runs Coal will be one of Murphy’s first roles after Oppenheimer. Though the Irish actor has been around for decades, it was Oppenheimer that really established his gravitas as a dramatic actor for the silver screen. Murphy had already shown his TV acting chops as the lead in Peaky Blinders, but Oppenheimer gave him a chance to bring that elevated drama into the film context in a role that established him as more than just a support for films like Inception or Batman Begins.

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Cillian Murphy as Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's Oscar-winning movie
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All the buzz surrounding Murphy’s Oppenheimer performance will also bode well for Blood Runs Coal. Oppenheimer’s success will garner more interest in Murphy, and audiences will be confident that Murphy can succeed in his next role. Hopefully, Murphy will be joined by similarly powerful stars as Blood Runs Coal continues its development.

Oppenheimer is available to stream on Peacock.

Source: Deadline