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When the trailer for "Taken" first started making the rounds in 2008, no one thought it was terribly out of character for Liam Neeson to star in a straight-ahead action flick. With films like "Darkman," "Rob Roy" and "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace" on his resume, the 1993 Best Actor nominee for "Schindler's List" certainly seemed comfortable making genre movies. The surprise was the five years that led up to it. After failing to snag a well-deserved second Best Actor nomination for "Kinsey" in 2004, he segued to supporting parts in "Kingdom of Heaven," "Batman Begins" and "Breakfast on Pluto," which suggested he was either getting passed over for lead roles, didn't fit the star type for whatever was being offered, or entering the character actor phase of his career.

After the moody Western "Seraphim Falls" failed to catch on with moviegoers (despite the intriguing pairing of Neeson and Pierce Brosnan), next up was "Taken.

Small Things Like These is a movie adapted from Irish author Claire Keegan's novel of the same title. The film will star Irish actor Cillian Murphy, who is coming off the heels of his Academy Award-winning performance in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. The movie is directed by Belgian director Tim Mielants, which seems to be a perfect follow-up after Oppenheimer for Murphy. The film debuted in February at the Berlin Film Festival and gained a high Rotten Tomatoes score.

The story of Small Things Like These takes place in 1985 in Wexford, Ireland, around Christmas time. The film focuses on "Magdalene laundries" or asylums in Ireland, usually run by the Catholic Church. These laundries originally housed former sex workers but later also became a place for women who were the victims of rape. Sometimes, the women housed were social outcasts, abuse victims, and orphans. The women housed in these laundries became known as "fallen women.

Cillian Murphy is confirmed to return to his role as Tommy Shelby in the film, The Immortal Man, which serves as a continuation of Peaky Blinders. Fans are thrilled to see the gangster back in action, especially as it comes right after Murphy’s Oscar win. The film will be written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight and directed by Tom Harper.

Cillian Murphy in a still from Peaky Blinders | Credits: BBC

The film has announced a cast that has already excited the audience. Dune fame Rebecca Ferguson and Saltburn star Barry Keoghan were added to the film. As fans are set to see Murphy in the period crime drama, here are more performances to see from the Oppenheimer star.

10. The Party (2017)

The Party is one of those closed-box movies where you get to see a lot of acting, heavy with dialogue. When a role in such a film lands with Cillian Murphy,...

Cillian Murphy truly shot himself to mega stardom in 2023 when he won the Best Actor Oscar for his magisterial performance in Oppenheimer. Between that role and his bloodthirsty performance as Tommy Shelby in the BBC's Peaky Blinders, Murphy is finally getting the acclaim that his larger, more noticeable roles have deserved. However, in the actor's back catalogue, there is a plethora of films and performances that sowed the seeds of his future successes and thus, warrant more attention from film fans nowadays. His turns in Neil Jordan's Breakfast on Pluto, John Crowley's Intermission, and Danny Boyle's Sunshine in particular are equal parts heartwarming, heart-breaking, and deep in their emotional intensity. There is one more particular film by a director from the British Isles that features an intense, star-making performance from our Irish actor: The Wind That Shakes the Barley.

Warring with Harvey Weinstein, marvelling at Tom Cruise, realising Mona Lisa and many other films were about himself … the great Irish director looks back on his astonishing career

Neil Jordan has spent his career telling strange, twisting stories that have mesmerised, surprised and occasionally misfired. Mona Lisa, The Crying Game, The Company of Wolves, Breakfast on Pluto – these films all veer off in unexpected directions, ambushing the audience. But it turns out the director saved the biggest twist for himself. Watching some of his films at a festival some years ago, Jordan was startled to see his own private life up there on the screen. It seems he had unknowingly channelled his relationships with his father, his wife and his children into stories about gangsters, terrorists and hot vampires. “I was shocked at how much of myself I revealed,” he says. “It was like a physical shock.”

That Jordan burgled...

Ascended rock deity David Bowie appeared on TV and in movies as early as 1968, only shortly after the release of his first record. His first leading performance came in 1972 with the release of Nicolas Roeg's sci-fi satire "The Man Who Fell to Earth," a film about an alien who comes to Earth and becomes distracted by drugs, TV, and other unhealthy creature comforts. Bowie later played himself in Uli Edel's harrowing 1981 J.D. flick "Christiane F.," in addition to starring in the smoky vampire film "The Hunger" and terse Pow drama "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence." A younger generation fell in love with Bowie because of 1986's puppet film "Labyrinth," while he was cleverly cast as Pontius Pilate in Martin Scorsese's "The Last Temptation of Christ."

In 1993, when director Renny Harlin was preparing to make his mountainside actioner and Sylvester Stallone vehicle "Cliffhanger," he very much wanted Bowie to play the film's villain.

Cillian Murphy and writer, director, and producer Christopher Nolan on the set of ‘Oppenheimer’ (Photo © Universal Pictures)

Since Cillian Murphy just became the first Irish-born actor to win the Best Actor Oscar, I thought it would be appropriate to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a list of the most notable Irish actors who have been honored by the Academy with either Oscar gold or a nomination.

1. Cillian Murphy

Murphy has played non-Irish roles so often and so well that some people may not realize or remember that he is Irish. His best Irish films include Breakfast on Pluto and The Wind that Shakes the Barley. And as noted above, he is the first Irish-born actor to take home an Academy Award in the Best Actor category.

Vicky Krieps and Daniel Day-Lewis in writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘Phantom Thread’ (Photo by Laurie Sparham / Focus Features)

2. Daniel Day-Lewis

Day-Lewis...

Cillian Murphy movies ranked. (Photo Credit – IMDb/Instagram)

The dazzling life of Cillian Murphy, the man who transformed from a rock band rebel to a silver screen sensation, with pit stops at law school and the theatre along the way. Despite initially chasing parties over passion, Murphy’s undeniable talent soon stole the spotlight, earning him many awards and a cult following, especially for his electrifying performance in “Oppenheimer.” Now, join us as we delve into Murphy’s movie magic, unveiling the top 10 films that have solidified his reign as Hollywood royalty. Grab your popcorn and brace yourself for a cinematic journey like no other!

10. Free Fire (2016)

Genre: Action, Crime, Comedy Cast: Brie Larson, Sharlto Copley, Armie Hammer, Cillian Murphy Runtime: 90 minutes Tomatometer: 70% IMDb Rating: 6.3/10 Available on: Max (US) Rent from : Prime Video for ₹69 (India)

In 1978, Stevo, Bernie, and their companions assembled with arms dealer Vernon and his associates...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences doesn't always get it right. Actually, you can count on them to just about never get it right.

This is especially true of the lead acting categories, where voters often become prisoners of the moment and vote for the buzziest and/or showiest performance. This is how Al Pacino's chilling depiction of Michael Corleone's descent into pure, dead-eyed evil in "The Godfather Part II" gets passed over in favor of Art Carney's amiable portrayal of a lonely old man hitting the road with his pet cat in "Harry and Tonto." This results in overdue Oscars, which frequently create new injustices — like Denzel Washington's bravura turn as Malcolm X losing to Al Pacino's ceaseless hoo-hahing in "Scent of a Woman," which led to Washington getting his Best Actor trophy for his (admittedly entertaining) grandstanding work in "Training Day" (which cost...

There have been numerous times over the course of Cillian Murphy’s career when he could have easily earned his first Academy Award nomination. There was his transformative performance in “Breakfast on Pluto.” His harrowing turn in “28 Days Later.” Or even his acclaimed performance in “The Wind That Shakes the Barley.” But after 20 years into his feature film career, that moment finally arrived with longtime collaborator Christopher Nolan and “Oppenheimer.” And now, Murphy has caped that achievement by winning Best Actor at the 96th Academy Awards.

Continue reading Cillian Murphy Wins The Best Actor Oscar For ‘Oppenheimer’ at The Playlist.

Cillian Murphy is now a household name thanks to his highly acclaimed, Oscar-nominated performance in Oppenheimer, a film that has established itself as a modern classic. Early in his career, Murphy drew critical acclaim for his roles in Irish independent films like the Palme d’Or Winner The Winds That Shake The Barley and Neil Jordan's Breakfast on Pluto. Then, Murphy’s collaborations with Christopher Nolan on The Dark Knight trilogy and Inception were enough to boost his star power. He then gained the leading role in the widely popular BBC/Netflix production of Peaky Blinders. But a lesser-known project of his is a World War II spy film that paired him up with Jamie Dornan. 2016's Anthropoid is a brilliant spy drama that showed Murphy's talents as a leading man, and examined a different side of the espionage genre.

Cillian Murphy, the guest on this episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, is a terrific Irish actor who The New York Times has said is “known for his electrifying, typecast-defying turns in a range of movies, big and small.” Backstage has called him “a chameleonic performer, a character actor trapped in a leading man’s bone structure.” Interview magazine has noted he has had a tremendously impressive career but “is still somehow cruelly underrated, and only getting better.”

Murphy’s standout film credits include 2002’s 28 Days Later; 2005’s Breakfast on Pluto, for which he received a best musical/comedy actor Golden Globe nom; and 2021’s A Quiet Place, Part II. He also anchored, between 2013 and 2022, Peaky Blinders, the massively acclaimed drama series about a Birmingham gang during the years between World War I and World War II. It aired on BBC2 in the U.K. and...

Exclusive: Cillian Murphy, fresh off of the massive global success of Oppenheimer — and as he gets ready to debut Small Things Like These (in which he stars and he produced) as the opening-night gala of the Berlin Film Festival next week — has set his next starring and producing gig with Steve.

This adaptation of Max Porter’s novel Shy also officially launches Murphy’s production company, Big Things Films, with longtime collaborator Alan Moloney. (See below for our discussion with the duo.)

Netflix has greenlighted Steve in collaboration with Big Things and will distribute globally. Production begins in the spring.

Steve is a reimagining of Porter’s Shy and traces a pivotal 24 hours in the life of its eponymous character, a headteacher (Murphy) of a last-chance reform school who struggles to keep his students in line, while also grappling with his spiraling mental health.

Moloney and Murphy are producers. Small Things Like These...

Cillian Murphy wins the Golden Globe for Best Male Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama for his role in Oppenheimer. Murphy's performance in Oppenheimer has made him a strong contender for an Oscar nomination. Lily Gladstone wins the Golden Globe for Best Female Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama for Killers of the Flower Moon.

Cillian Murphy won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama at last night's awards ceremony. This is the second time Murphy has been nominated for the coveted award. His first Golden Globe nod came for his work in the 2005 film, Breakfast on Pluto. On accepting his award, Murphy heaped praise on Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan for his dedication and vision, and having faith in his abilities as an actor. He said:

I knew the first time that I walked on Chris Nolan’s set that it was different.

Cillian Murphy wins the Golden Globe for Best Male Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama for his role in Oppenheimer. Murphy's performance in Oppenheimer has made him a strong contender for an Oscar nomination. Lily Gladstone wins the Golden Globe for Best Female Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama for Killers of the Flower Moon.

Cillian Murphy wins the Golden Globe for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. This is the second time Murphy has been nominated for the coveted award. His first Golden Globe nod came for his work in the 2005 film, Breakfast on Pluto. Murphy follows on the heels of the 2023 recipient, Austin Butler. Last year, Butler won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama thanks to his portrayal of the titular King of Rock and Roll in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis.

Cillian Murphy has won the Golden Globe for best actor in a motion picture – drama for his starring role in Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” in which he plays the J. Robert Oppenheimer, the “father of the atomic bomb.”

“I knew the first time I walked on a Christopher Nolan set that it was different,” Murphy said during his acceptance speech. “I could tell by the level of rigor, the level of focus, the level of dedication, the complete lack of any seating options for actors [Laughter] that I was in the hands of the visionary director and master.”

Murphy continued, “I want to thank Chris and Emma [Thomas] for having the faith in me for 20 years. Thanks so much. One of the most beautiful and vulnerable things about being an actor is that you can’t do it on your own, really. We had the most incredible ensemble cast in this movie.

Cillian Murphy has won Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama at the Golden Globes for “Oppenheimer.” Read the full Golden Globes winners list here.

The award boosts the 47-year-old Irish actor’s momentum in the Oscar race considerably, and helps to power Christopher Nolan’s film to official juggernaut status. IndieWire’s Awards Editor, Film and TV, Marcus Jones had already listed him as a frontrunner for Best Actor at the Academy Awards alongside Bradley Cooper (“Maestro”), Leonardo DiCaprio (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), Colman Domingo (“Rustin”), and Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”).

This was not the first time Murphy had been nominated for a Golden Globe, however. He was previously nominated as Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for “Breakfast on Pluto” in 2006.

Murphy has been a longtime collaborator of director Nolan, appearing in “Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight,” “Inception,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” and “Dunkirk.” But “Oppenheimer,...

They faced each other in a box office royale that wound up mushrooming to become the biggest box office weekend of the year. Now, Warner Bros.’ Barbie and Universal’s Oppenheimer will go toe-to-toe at the Golden Globes on January 7.

Interestingly enough, coming away from the Golden Globes nominations Monday morning, Barbie bests Oppenheimer by only one nom, 9 to 8.

Barbie‘s edge over Oppenheimer comes in the Original Song Category, where the movie counts an unprecedented three nominations for “Dance the Night Away”, “I’m Just Ken” and “What Was I Made For?”

In addition, Barbie also counts nominations for Best Musical/Comedy, Best Actress Musical Comedy (Margot Robbie), Male Supporting Role (Ryan Gosling), Best Screenplay (Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach), Best Director (Gerwig), and a slot in the new category Best Cinematic and Box Office Achievement.

Related: Golden Globes Film Nominations Analysis: As ‘Barbenheimer’ Crushes The Field, Summer Blockbusters...

The Palm Springs International Film Awards announced on Friday that Cillian Murphy will receive the 2023 Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor, for his role in Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.”

Murphy, the Irish actor, portrayed American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, the so-called father of the atomic bomb, in Nolan’s epic biography, which has grossed nearly a billion dollars worldwide.

Previously, Palm Springs announced that Emma Stone will receive the 2023 Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress, for her performance in Yorgos Lanthimos’s “Poor Things,” and that the creative team of “Killers of the Flower Moon” will scoop the Vanguard Award.

“After working together on five previous films, including ‘The Dark Knight’ trilogy, ‘Inception,’ and ‘Dunkirk,’ Cillian Murphy and writer-director Christopher Nolan reunite for one of the most ambitious and epic films of the year. Murphy gives a stunning portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer as a conflicted scientist leading the Manhattan Project to...

Cillian Murphy has become somewhat synonymous with the series "Peaky Blinders," the BBC/Netflix series about a street gang in England just after the First World War led by the cunning crime boss Tommy Shelby (Murphy). Created by Steven Knight, the series has permeated the general pop culture landscape so deeply that even those who have never watched a single episode can identify it thanks to Murphy and the instantly recognizable flat caps.

"Peaky Blinders" won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2018, and Murphy has taken home multiple awards for his performance through the Irish Film and Television Awards, TV Choice Awards, and the National Television Awards. At this point, it's hard to imagine anyone else in the role of Tommy Shelby, but in a different timeline, that's exactly what would have happened.

As it turns out, Knight initially had considered Jason Statham for the role of Tommy Shelby,...

Prior to July 21, 2023, you could've made a pretty solid case that Cillian Murphy is one of the most underrated actors working today. But now that Christoepher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" has mushroomed across the cinematic landscape, there can be no doubt: Murphy is a staggeringly talented performer who, at the age of 47, has barely scraped the surface of his immense potential. He's a mortal lock for a Best Actor nomination, and, though it's a tad too early to declare such things, certainly feels like this year's frontrunner.

I don't know why it took so long for Murphy to get his due. The man had a magnificent 2005 with the trio of Nolan's "Batman Begins," Wes Craven's "Red Eye" and Neil Jordan's "Breakfast on Pluto," but, for whatever reason, he struggled to build off these successes. After a memorable turn in Danny Boyle's "Sunshine," Murphy veered from one forgettable film to another.

Cillian Murphy's performance in 28 Days Later is his best, showcasing emotional authenticity and a sense of confusion rarely seen in zombie films. Murphy's character forms a close bond with Selena and becomes a paternal figure to Megan, showing a softer side not often seen in his villainous or reserved roles. Jim's character arc in the film concludes beautifully, and Murphy's absence in the sequel highlights the special quality he added to the role.

Cillian Murphy is one of the best actors working today, and his work has consistently been underrated by movie fans that aren’t familiar with his extensive track record. While many viewers have seen him thanks to his collaborations with Christopher Nolan on Batman Begins, Inception, Dunkirk, and now Oppenheimer, there’s also a large segment of fans who love him as Thomas Shelby on Peaky Blinders; the British crime series that is essentially...

Cillian Murphy's latest role as J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" has garnered significant buzz and critical acclaim, with some predicting that his intimate, complex portrayal of the man behind the atomic bomb will earn him an Oscar nomination. Though Murphy is undoubtedly brilliant in the biographical epic, the Irish actor has had over 25 years of preparation for the role through a number of projects in film, TV, and theater.

Murphy, like many actors, began his acting career on stage. In 1996, he made his stage debut in Enda Walsh's play "Disco Pigs," which was later adapted into a feature film starring Murphy in 2001. By the early 2000s, the actor took on several roles, but his role as Jim in the post-apocalyptic horror film "28 Days Later" propelled him into Hollywood. In 2005, he starred in "Batman Begins" and began what would become a decades-long collaborative friendship with Christopher Nolan.

For most of his young life, Cillian Murphy wanted to be a musician. Strumming away on his guitar and hammering on piano keys, the eventual “Oppenheimer” star wouldn’t shift his focus to acting until his early twenties. Murphy gained a larger following in film and on TV than from theater, although he has appeared on stage throughout his career and as recently as 2019.

The Irish actor frequently enjoys roles showcasing his live performance skills and musical talents; see “Disco Pigs,” “Watching the Detectives,” and “Breakfast on Pluto.” Still, the transition to acting initially left Murphy with a bit of imposter syndrome, uncertain that he would ever reach the stardom he has today.

“Because I never trained as an actor, because I wanted to be a musician, I’ve always felt slightly like a bit of an interloper,” Murphy said to Deadline.

If there’s one person who would disagree...

“Oppenheimer” isn’t the first time Cillian Murphy topped a movie that hit the cultural zeitgeist. And yet, stardom didn’t quite spark for the Irish actor after Danny Boyle‘s 2002 genre hit “28 Days Later.” There were daring performances (“Breakfast on Pluto”) and fun villainous paycheck plays (“Red Eye”), but Murphy has spent the past two decades mostly in ensemble and supporting roles (on the big screen of course, but in the U.K.

Continue reading ‘Oppenheimer’s’ Cillian Murphy: “If It Doesn’t Come From The Heart, It’s Not Worthwhile Being Up On-Screen” [Interview] at The Playlist.

“Oppenheimer” has burst into the Oscar race.

With the earnest and urgent cultural fabric of “To Kill a Mockingbird” and the philosophical measure of “The Tree of Life,” writer, director and producer Christopher Nolan’s chronicle of the creation of the most destructive weapon ever used stands as the most ambitious and vital piece of filmmaking of his career. Adapted from the book “American Prometheus” by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, “Oppenheimer” tells the complicated and morally fraught story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer who led the effort to develop the atomic bomb.

Nolan and his stellar ensemble of actors have amassed 27 Oscar nominations collectively throughout their careers. One of those who surprisingly hasn’t nabbed one is Irish actor Cillian Murphy, who plays the titular scientist. With dry wit and womanizing charm that effectively makes him the scientific version of Michael Fassbender in “Shame,” Murphy is an...

Some actors get so immersed in their roles that they avoid their co-stars in an attempt to distance themselves from anything that could detract from their art. But the reason Cillian Murphy ditched nightly dinners with his Oppenheimer co-stars had to do with the mounting pressure he felt playing the father of the atomic bomb.

In a sitdown with People, co-star Emily Blunt remembered that the isolation of their filming locations encouraged some to gather for some grub. “We were all in the same hotel in the middle of the New Mexican desert…We only had each other. Me and Matt were roommates and we were like, ‘Let’s go to have dinner.’” But Cillian Murphy would sit these Oppenheimer meals out since, according to Blunt, “The sheer volume of what he had to take on and shoulder is so monumental…Of course he didn’t want to come and have dinner with us.

Cillian Murphy is a man of many faces, an actor who is as comfortable facing off against giant insects as he is creating an atomic bomb.

A renowned theater actor in Ireland, Murphy made his first major screen appearance in 2001’s “Disco Pigs,” the film version of a play in which he had starred on stage. His film career grew to include genre work in science fiction (“Sunshine”), thrillers (“Red Eye”) and horror. Throughout his career, Murphy has balso balanced his more commercial films with such acclaimed indies as “The Party,” “The Wind That Shakes the Barley” and “Breakfast on Pluto” for which he earned a Golden Globe nomination.

Murphy’s most fruitful collaboration, however, has been with acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan, with whom Murphy has made five previous film appearances — major supporting roles in “Batman Begins” (2005) and “Inception” (2010), as well as cameos in 2008’s “The Dark Knight,” 2012’s “The Dark Knight Rises...

Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy have made a number of movies together, all of them hits with both critics and audiences, though only one of them ranks as the best. While Murphy served in supporting roles for Nolan in their first five collaborations, he will take the lead in Oppenheimer, their sixth movie together as actor and director. Cast in the title role of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Murphy plays the father of the atomic bomb in Nolan’s biographical drama set during World War II. With Murphy appearing in half of Nolan's 12 features as of the release of Oppenheimer, he's the filmmaker's second most regular acting collaborator, after Michael Caine.

Murphy’s career has generally been met with acclaim. His breakout performance in 28 Days Later was followed by a Golden Globe nomination for his work in Breakfast on Pluto. He later starred in the British crime drama Peaky Blinders for six seasons,...

Playing historical figures is often a bit of a stretch for most actors. For young actors, it can be especially difficult. Yet for an actor like Cillian Murphy, the roles seem ready-made. That is why he is ready to play the lead in the latest Christopher Nolan film, Oppenheimer.

The film, set to release in July later this year, will be Murphy's first time leading the way for a movie with Nolan, marking a significant milestone in both their careers.

Who Is Cillian Murphy?

Murphy is 46 years old and hails from Cork, Ireland. He burst on the scene in 2002 as the lead in the horror film 28 Days Later. The movie placed him at the center of the rebirth of the zombie craze. However, Murphy was not content to stick with horror and was soon nominated for a Golden Globe for his work in the 2005 Breakfast On Pluto.

Perhaps...

The Sun Is Shining in the small riverside town of New Ross, Ireland. It’s Good Friday, and I’m standing outside St. Mary’s, a defunct Catholic school. Crew members scamper toward their lights and cranes. Two rows of schoolgirls are led by a nun through the yard. Incongruously, through the sunshine, a snow machine periodically emits suds that melt on your face as you pass: This is Christmas 1985 via Easter weekend 2023. There, amid a clutch of equipment and crew members in the usual on-set menagerie, stands Cillian Murphy,...

Cillian Murphy is an Irish actor who first started appearing on-screen in 1997, and his filmography is filled with critically acclaimed TV and movie performances. Although Murphy is often reserved and private about his life, the actor is quite popular after he took on series of impressive roles - ranging from horrible, evil characters to heroic figures. Murphy can shout and be bombastic and then shrink down and produce internal acting moments that see him using just his facial expressions and mannerisms to express an array of emotions.

Since 1997 Murphy has been working steadily, playing parts in movies, television, and even some music videos. He has struck up lasting relationships with some of the most talented directors in Hollywood, including Danny Boyle and Christopher Nolan. Murphy’s filmography includes sci-fi, influential horror, mind-bending blockbuster fare, and historical television. Despite the critical acclaim of many of his movies, Murphy only has one...

Liam Neeson has now starred in 100 films, only a quarter of which are "Taken" sequels. I kid, I kid! Even 15 years into his surprising late-career run as an action star (going back to the original "Taken" in 2008), the Irish thespian retains an eclectic body of work under his belt. Since he started acting in the late 1970s, Neeson's starred in high-art dramas, auteur-driven period pieces, raunchy burlesques, pulpy blockbusters, classic literary adaptations, cheeky animated films, and, yes, more action movies about deadly old-timers than you can shake a stick at. Also, he played Jesus once. Twice, if Aslan from "Chronicles of Narnia" counts.

"Marlowe," which officially gives Neeson 100 movies to his name, casts the actor as Raymond Chandler's famous hard-boiled private eye Philip Marlowe in a story based on John Banville's 2014 novel, "The Black-Eyed Blonde." The movie also reunites Neeson with director Neil Jordan for their latest go-round...

Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe has been played by some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. To many, Humphrey Bogart remains the definitive Marlowe, based on his performance in Howard Hawks’ The Big Sleep, but film noir afficianados will often cite Murder My Sweet’s Dick Powell, or later iterations, like Robert Mitchum in Farewell My Lovely or Elliot Gould in The Long Goodbye as the best. Indeed, Liam Neeson is stepping into some mighty big shoes with his new movie, Marlowe, but if anyone can go toe-to-toe with Mitchum or Bogart, it’s Neeson, right?

To help bring Marlowe to the big screen, Neeson recruited one of his most frequent directors, Neil Jordan. The two famously worked together on Michael Collins, as well as the earlier High Spirits and the more recent (underrated) Breakfast on Pluto, and are set to reteam again on a new prison break thriller filming this year.

Neil Jordan's new detective movie "Marlowe," starring Liam Neeson, is the director's first since "Greta" in 2018. Jordan may be one of the moodiest filmmakers working, and the smoky mysteries of film noir seem especially suited to his skills. "Marlowe" does indeed feature the famous P.I. created by Raymond Chandler in his 1939 novel "The Big Sleep," but it is not based on any of Chandler's works. Instead, the screenplay, by William Monahan ("The Departed") is based on a spinoff Marlowe novel called "The Black-Eyed Blonde" by John Banville. True to the genre, "Marlowe" is about the eponymous detective's search for the ex-lover of a rich heiress (Diane Kruger). A notable piece of trivia: "Marlowe" constitutes Neeson's 100th official screen credit.

As of this writing, "Marlowe" is not enjoying the best reviews (it currently has a 23 approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes), but fans of film noir would do well to...

Plot: In 1939 Los Angeles, hard-boiled private detective Philip Marlowe (Liam Neeson) is hired by the daughter (Diane Kruger) of a legendary silent star (Jessica Lange) to find a prop man who went missing. Marlowe quickly finds himself embroiled in a case involving drugs, murder, and secrets that the powers-that-be in Hollywood would like kept secret.

Review: With Marlowe, Liam Neeson finds himself stepping into the shoes of perhaps the most iconic film noir hero of all time. Writer Raymond Chandler’s books were big favourites in Tinseltown in the forties, with Dick Powell (Murder My Sweet), Humphrey Bogart (The Big Sleep) and many more playing Philip Marlowe during the peak noir era. In the seventies neo-noir revival years, the character once again became hip, with Robert Mitchum playing an older Marlowe in Farewell My Lovely and a remake of The Big Sleep. In contrast, Elliot Gould played a hip, spaced-out...

There was a time when it seemed like Cillian Murphy was destined for movie superstardom. The Irish actor was mesmerizing in early-2000s films like "28 Days Later," "Batman Begins," "Red Eye" and "Breakfast on Pluto." But while he's remained busy over the years, Hollywood just couldn't figure out what to do with him, so he wound up bouncing from leads to supporting roles for a bit until he found a role that fit him like a tweed suit in Tommy Shelby, the crime boss of "Peaky Blinders."

Now that Steven Knight's gangster series has come to a close after six knockabout seasons, Murphy has been gifted a prime opportunity to reestablish himself as a big-screen draw in Christopher Nolan's forthcoming "Oppenheimer." Murphy has been cast as the physicist who spearheaded the Manhattan Project's development of the atomic bomb. Oppenheimer's triumph resulted in the end of World...

Exclusive: Storyboard Media and CAA Media Finance are launching sales on detective thriller Marlowe ahead of the Cannes virtual market, we can reveal.

Taken star Liam Neeson is set to lead the noir thriller about Raymond Chandler’s iconic detective Philip Marlowe with Oscar-winner Neil Jordan (The Crying Game) directing Oscar-winner William Monahan’s (The Departed) script.

The project has a great premise, one that Neeson could excel in. Based on the novel The Black-Eyed Blonde, the 1950’s-set film will see private detective Marlowe (Neeson) hired to find the ex-lover of a glamorous heiress. Initially it looks an open and shut case, but Marlowe soon finds himself in the underbelly of Hollywood’s film industry and unwittingly drawn into the crossfire of a legendary Hollywood actress and her subversive, ambitious daughter.

The project, which was first revealed in 2017, now has new impetus with producers and sellers taking the package to...

Production earmarked for October; will take place in Los Angeles, Europe.

Liam Neeson will portray hardboiled detective Philip Marlowe in Neil Jordan’s Marlowe based on a screenplay by William Monahan, with Storyboard Media handling sales at the upcoming virtual Cannes market.

Storyboard Media, H2L Media, Nickel City Pictures and Parallel Film Productions are producing and have lined up an October start on production, which will take place in Los Angeles and Europe.

Monahan adapted the screenplay from the novel The Black-Eyed Blonde by Benjamin Black, the pseudonym of John Banville who received the blessing of the Raymond Chandler...

The Irish actor Cillian Murphy has a remarkable filmography, even though he began his career as a musician since he has a true passion for rock music. He was offered a record deal but turned it down to begin his acting career in theaters. After a few independent and short films, Cillian acted in bigger movies and even won an Irish Film and Television Award for the Best Actor for his role in Breakfast On Pluto, which also got him a nomination for a Golden Globe.

Related: Peaky Blinders: Cillian Murphy's 10 Best Roles, According To IMDb

Cillian has portrayed many different and remarkable characters; find out which of the personas he portrayed you relate to the most, according to some attributes from the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator®.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has been kinder through the years to Joaquin Phoenix than the Academy Awards voters have. While the former child star has been nominated three times for an Oscar for his performances in 2000’s historical epic “The Gladiator,” 2005’s musical biopic “Walk the Line” and 2012’s religious cult drama “The Master,” he has yet to take home a little gold man.

But the international journalists who decide who wins the Golden Globes nominated Phoenix for those efforts as well as two comedic roles in 2013’s “Her” and 2014’s “Inherent Vice.” This year, he is once again caught in the heat of competition as the favorite to win Best Film Drama Actor, according to Gold Derby’s combined user odds for his incredibly committed, sympathetic and disturbing interpretation of Batman’s smirking arch nemesis in the comic-book-inspired summer blockbuster “Joker.”

Phoenix would take home his lone Globe...

"She's really freaking me out." Focus Features has debuted the first official trailer for an indie thriller titled Greta, the latest feature from Academy Award-winning Irish filmmaker Neil Jordan. This extra creepy suspense thriller premiered at the Toronto Film Festival already, and opens in theaters in March. From the looks, it seems to be like a new mash-up of A Simple Favor and Misery and Gone Girl, with some other unexpected twists thrown in. Isabelle Huppert stars with Chloe Moretz, two people living in New York City who become friends. But Frances soon discovers "nothing in Greta's life is what it seems." The full cast includes Maika Monroe, Parker Sawyers, Zawe Ashton, Stephen Rea, and Colm Feore. This looks very twisted and crazy and totally demented, which might be just what the doctor ordered. Get a peek below. Here's the first official trailer (+ ...

Exclusive: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is set to star opposite Dakota Fanning in the Zeresenay Berhane Mehari-directed Sweetness In The Belly based on the bestselling novel by Camilla Gibb.

Adapted for the screen by Laura Phillips, the film is a powerful love story that explores an immigrant’s life from a unique perspective. In a story that is relevant to today’s cultural landscape, Fanning stars Lilly Abdal (a role which Saoirse Ronan was originally attached), who was orphaned in Africa as a child and escaped to England as a refugee, fleeing civil war. Lost in this cold new world, Lilly embraces the immigrant community in London, attempting to reunite people with their scattered families. However, Lilly’s mission isn’t purely selfless: A passionate lost love affair is revealed between Lilly and Aziz (Abdul-Mateen II), an idealistic doctor. But can Lilly let go of the past?...

Daredevil has added Peter Halpin as Theo Nelson, the affable, younger brother of attorney Foggy Nelson. The Netflix series returns with Season 3 this Friday.

The character of Theo Nelson is as genial as his older sibling but less career-driven than Matthew Murdock’s law partner — the younger Nelson has worked his whole life with at his parents’ local business, the Hell’s Kitchen Butcher Shop in the gritty namesake New York neighborhood

The Theo Nelson character is a new addition to the Daredevil mythology — he has not previously appeared in the pages of Marvel Comics, which has published the hero’s ongoing adventures since 1964, nor in the 2003 feature film Daredevil.

Halpin launched his screen career in Angela’s Ashes, the 1999 adaptation of Frank McCourt’s Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir. Halpin, a native of Limerick, Ireland, portrayed Malachy McCourt, brother of the author, in the grim New York tale directed by Alan Parker.

Focus Features has closed a deal for rights to Neil Jordan’s “Greta” following the thriller’s premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.

The film stars Chloe Grace Moretz and Isabelle Huppert and is described as a film about female obsession. Several companies were interested in “Greta” and bidding became intense. With the deal in place, Focus will now control rights for the film in North America, Australia and China. Universal, Focus’s parent company, already has a deal for the U.K.

“Greta” isn’t the only title eliciting lots of interest from buyers. Potential bidders have been told that “Teen Spirit,” the directing debut of actor Max Minghella, is close to landing a deal. There’s a rumor that the film about a pop star will go for roughly $3 million.

Reviews for “Greta” were largely positive, with critics praising the picture as pulpy fun.

“This...

“Free Fire crosses the irreverent cheekiness of Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs with the ruthless spirit of 1970s B-Movies” — Variety

From Executive Producer Martin Scorsese Comes the Bloodiest Shootout of the Year Starring Armie Hammer, Cillian Murphy, and Oscar® Winner Brie Larson was released on Blu-ray™ & DVD on July 18.

Now you can own the Free Fire Blu-ray. We Are Movie Geeks has Four copies to give away. All you have to do is leave a comment answering this question: What is your favorite movie starring Brie Larson? (mine is Kong Skull Island!). It’s so easy!

Good Luck!

Official Rules:

1. You Must Be A Us Resident. Prize Will Only Be Shipped To Us Addresses. No P.O. Boxes. No Duplicate Addresses.

2. Winners Will Be Chosen From All Qualifying Entries.

The bold action thriller, Free Fire, arrives on Blu-ray™ (plus Digital HD) and DVD July 18 from Lionsgate. Winner of the People...

“Free Fire crosses the irreverent cheekiness of Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs with the ruthless spirit of 1970s B-Movies” — Variety

From Executive Producer Martin Scorsese Comes the Bloodiest Shootout of the Year Starring Armie Hammer, Cillian Murphy, and Oscar® Winner Brie Larson on Blu-ray™ & DVD on July 18

The bold action thriller, Free Fire, arrives on Blu-ray™ (plus Digital HD) and DVD July 18 from Lionsgate. Winner of the People’s Choice Award for Midnight Madness at the Toronto International Film Festival, Free Fire is executive produced by Oscar®-winning director Martin Scorsese (Best Director, The Departed, 2006) and is directed and co-written by acclaimed filmmaker Ben Wheatley (High Rise, Kill List). The film, “a cult classic in the making” (The Film Stage) features an all-star cast including Sharlto Copley (District 9), Armie Hammer (The Social Network), Oscar® winner Brie Larson (Best Actress, Room, 2015), Golden Globe® nominee Cillian Murphy (Best Actor – Musical or Comedy,...

(See previous post: “Gay Pride Movie Series Comes to a Close: From Heterosexual Angst to Indonesian Coup.”) Ken Russell's Valentino (1977) is notable for starring ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev as silent era icon Rudolph Valentino, whose sexual orientation, despite countless gay rumors, seems to have been, according to the available evidence, heterosexual. (Valentino's supposed affair with fellow “Latin Lover” Ramon Novarro has no basis in reality.) The female cast is also impressive: Veteran Leslie Caron (Lili, Gigi) as stage and screen star Alla Nazimova, ex-The Mamas & the Papas singer Michelle Phillips as Valentino wife and Nazimova protégée Natacha Rambova, Felicity Kendal as screenwriter/producer June Mathis (The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse), and Carol Kane – lately of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt fame. Bob Fosse's Cabaret (1972) is notable as one of the greatest musicals ever made. As a 1930s Cabaret presenter – and the Spirit of Germany – Joel Grey was the year's Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner. Liza Minnelli...

The fantastic Ruth Negga from "Loving" is being honored (deservingly I might add), at the upcoming Palm Springs International Film Festival! I sat down with the actress for "Loving," take a look at my interview:

And here's why you have to see "Loving":

Here's the full press release from the Palm Springs International Film Festival:

Palm Springs, CA (November 16, 2016) . The 28th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) will present Ruth Negga with the Rising Star Award at its annualRuth NeggaFilm Awards Gala for her performance in Loving. The Film Awards Gala, hosted by Mary Hart, will be held Monday, January 2 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The Festival runs January 2-16.

.Ruth Negga.s performance as Mildred Loving is one of the year.s most luminous and striking portrayals,. said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. .This timeless love story about an interracial couple reminds us of the unstoppable power...

After years of focusing on rescuing his fictional family members from bad guys, Liam Neeson is taking yet another step back into the world of prestige drama. Deadline reports that Neeson will star in The Trainer, a new movie from The Crying Game director Neil Jordan. Neeson will play a walled-off man in Ireland whose life is upended by a teenaged refugee named Nadya and a horse. The equine, called Allabelle, “is about to prove that they may all have one race left inside of them,” according to Deadline. Neeson and Jordan have worked together before on films including Breakfast On Pluto and Michael Collins.

This year sees Neeson in two non-action roles. He appears in Martin Scorsese’s highly anticipated Silence, which follows persecuted priests in Japan, and in A Monster Calls, about a boy who takes lessons from a talking tree monster—yes, Neeson—while his mother dies...