Recent Best Actor Academy Award winner Cillian Murphy is set to star in, and produce, a film that has local ties.
The “Oppenheimer” actor is attached to a film adaptation of “Blood Runs Coal: the Yablonski Murders and the Battle for the United Mine Workers of America,” according to Variety.
The film will be based on the 2020 nonfiction book by Mark A. Bradley. It chronicles the 1969 murders of Joseph A. Yablonski and his wife and daughter in their Clarksville, Washington County home. Before his death, Yablonski had campaigned to replace Tony Boyle, the corrupt leader of the United Mine Workers of America. Yablonski supported better working conditions for union members and other reforms.
The aftermath of his assassination led to a successful FBI manhunt and a worker-led takeover of the union, an inspiration for similar movements at other labor unions.
According to Deadline, Murphy will portray Chip Yablonski, a labor attorney and one of Joseph Yablonski’s surviving sons, who worked tirelessly to get justice for his father — and to bring down Tony Boyle.
The film adaptation is in development at Universal, with “Edge of Tomorrow” screenwriters Jez and John-Henry Butterworth collaborating on the script, Deadline reports.
The Pittsburgh Film Office has had no contact with the project at this time, according to Dawn Keezer, executive director.
In addition to 2023’s “Oppenheimer,” Murphy is known for films like “28 Days Later,” Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy and “A Quiet Place Part II.” In addition, he starred in the BBC drama series “Peaky Blinders,” which also has a film adaptation in the works.
