Cillian Murphy to star in Irish drama with big name Hollywood backing

"I’m really proud of the movie."

Cillian Murphy is set to star in an upcoming Irish film with the backing of some major Hollywood names. Small Things Like These, based on the book by Claire Keegan, will star Murphy as a Wexford man in 1985 who makes a dark discovery which forces him to confront the secrets of his hometown. The film will also be produced by the Best Actor Oscar nominee, alongside Ben Affleck and Matt Damon through their company Artists Equity, as well as financially backing the project.

Cillian Murphy to star in Irish drama with big name Hollywood backing

The 2021 book, of which the film is based on, won the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. The film, which was written by Enda Walsh (Disco Pigs, Hunger), will open the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival in February and also stars Eileen Walsh, Emily Watson and Ciarán Hinds. Speaking in a New York Times interview this week, Murphy spoke about the project, saying, "I have a film called Small Things Like These, which I produced and acted in and that’s opening at the Berlin Film Festival in February.

Screen Ireland launches its 2024 slate

The slate includes over 40 Film, TV Drama, Documentary and Animation Projects. Highlights this year include Small Things Like These starring Cillian Murphy, and Bring Them Down, starring Barry Keoghan. Read here: https://t.co/mHQRvCQtNS pic.twitter.com/EUNaBTaZBh — Irish Film & TV Net (@IFTN) January 24, 2024

"I’m really proud of the movie. It’s produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. They paid for it and we produced it together. So I’m juggling that and attending all these events at the same time." Murphy added following Screen Ireland launched its 2024 Slate, saying: "Working on this film with director Tim Mielants and screenwriter Enda Walsh – as well as the film’s outstanding cast and crew in Wexford, Wicklow and Dublin – was an incredible experience. "It’s a wonderful time for Irish filmmaking, and I’m proud to be part of putting Irish stories on the screen that tell us about ourselves: our past and present." Screen Ireland also announced in its 2024 slate a new film starring Saltburn star Barry Keoghan called Bring Them Down, a crime thriller about an escalating feud between two Irish farming families. The movie also stars Christopher Abbott and Colm Meaney.

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