Cillian Murphy’s next film, Steve, will have a very prestigious premiere later this year.
The film is a reimagining of Max Porter’s Sunday Times bestseller Shy.
Cillian plays the titular Steve, a teacher at a last-chance reform school.
Steve will premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September.
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It will compete as part of the festival’s Platform programme, which is described as “a first glimpse at some of the most compelling cinematic voices on the rise” and champions “bold directorial vision and distinctive storytelling”.
The film has been directed by Belgian director Tim Mielants who has previously worked on Peaky Blinders and Small Things Like This with Cillian.
The synopsis reads: “Set in the mid-90s, Steve is a reimagining of Max Porter’s Sunday Times bestseller Shy. The film follows a pivotal day in the life of headteacher Steve and his students at a last-chance reform school amidst a world that has forsaken them.
“As Steve fights to protect the school’s integrity and impending closure, we witness him grappling with his own mental health. In parallel to Steve’s struggles, we meet Shy (Jay Lycurgo), a troubled teen caught between his past and what lies ahead as he tries to reconcile his inner fragility with his impulse for self-destruction and violence.”
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The rest of the cast includes Tracey Ullman (The Tracey Ullman Show, Mrs. America), Simbi Ajikawo (Top Boy), Jay Lycurgo (Half Bad: The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself, I May Destroy You) and Emily Watson (Breaking the Waves, Small Things Like These).
Further cast members include Douggie McMeekin, Youssef Kerkour, Luke Ayres, Joshua J Parker, Araloyin Oshunremi, Tut Nyuot, Tom Moya, Ahmed Ismail, Joshua Barry, Archie Fisher, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Priyanga Burford, George Fouracres, Marcus Garvey, Ruby Ashbourne-Serkis and Roger Allam.
Steve will release in select cinemas in September and on Netflix on October 3rd
