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As reported by Deadline, Cillian Murphy is slated to star in Universal’s film adaptation of the book “Blood Runs Coal: The Yablonski Murders and the Battle for the United Mine Workers of America.” With Murphy’s esteemed reputation as one of Hollywood’s top talents, it’s no wonder this project was explicitly crafted for him, envisioning him as the lead actor and producer.
“Blood Runs Coal,” adapted from Mark A. Bradley’s book, takes you deep into the gritty world of Pennsylvania coal miners in the wild ’60s, shining a light on one of America’s darkest union crimes. It’s all about Jock Yablonski, a big shot in the United Mine Workers, fighting tooth and nail to better the lives of his fellow miners. But things take a dark turn when a shady union election goes down, accusing his rival of fraud. Jock and most of his fam get taken out, leaving his son Chip, played by Murphy, on a mission to bring justice to their names.
Can’t blame Universal for wanting to stick with Murphy after all he’s done. Deadline says they snagged the rights to “Blood Runs Coal” just a couple days before he nabbed that Oscar. No director has been named yet, but Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth are on script duty. John Davis and Jordan Davis are steering the ship at Davis Entertainment, while Murphy and Alan Moloney are cooking things up at their new gig, Big Things Films. And hey, Bradley, the book’s author, is also getting in on the action as an exec producer.
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