Cillian Murphy’s New Netflix Drama Steve: A Heartbreaking Story of Struggle and Resilience
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Cillian Murphy is set to star in and produce Steve, an “intense” new Netflix drama adapted from Max Porter’s novel Shy. The story, which Murphy says “broke his heart” upon first reading, follows a headteacher’s desperate fight to save his reform college from closure, while grappling with his own mental decline.
Murphy, who deeply admires Porter’s writing for its “visceral” emotional impact, revealed that he received a proof edition of the book before its completion. “It just broke my heart,” he told Deadline. “These are the sorts of stories I love, both as a reader and as a performer, so I really wanted to bring this to the screen.”
The film centers on Steve, the headteacher, whose day unfolds over a tense 24-hour period as he faces mounting pressures. Alongside this, the story also follows Shy, a troubled teenager battling violent and self-destructive impulses. While the novel is told from Shy’s perspective, the movie flips the narrative to focus on Steve’s point of view — a creative decision led by Porter himself. Murphy explained, “It was Max’s idea to change the perspective and flip it around to the headteacher who runs this institution… The same events happen, we’re just looking at them through a different lens.”
Despite the heavy themes, Murphy assures that Steve includes moments of humor. His collaborator Alan Moloney describes the film as “darkly funny.” Moloney emphasized that their new production company, Big Things Films, is focused on “good writing” rather than only dark or difficult stories. “Our intention is not to only make dark difficult films or tell dark difficult stories. It will be whatever writing appeals and has something to say.”
Filming took place between May and July last year, with Tim Mielants directing and Porter adapting the screenplay. Alongside Murphy, Jay Lycurgo has been confirmed in the cast.
Steve promises an emotionally charged, real-time drama that dives deep into personal and institutional struggles, set to release on Netflix this autumn. Whether it will see a limited theatrical or festival run remains to be announced.
