Cillian Murphy to lead star cast in Netflix film ‘Steve’
Cillian Murphy is set to star alongside an all-star cast in an upcoming film drama for Netflix titled Steve, in which he plays the lead character of the same name.
The film will feature an ensemble cast including Tracy Ullman, Little Simz – real name Simbi Ajikawo – and Emily Watson, while being directed by Tim Mielants.
It is set to follow the Peaky Blinders actor as a headteacher battles to keep his students and his school on the right track, as a reimagining of the novel Shy by Max Porter.
The official press release adds: “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.”
The film is set for a short theatrical release in cinemas in September, before landing on the streaming platform on October 3rd, 2025.
Steve comes as the second movie collaboration in recent years between filmmaker Mielants and actors Murphy and Watson, since their previous historical Irish drama Small Things Like These was released in November 2024.
With Little Simz starring in an as yet unspecified role in the film, this may indicate what she was shooting that caused the release of her most recent album, Lotus, to be delayed by a month earlier this year.
At the time, the rapper said the situation was “Not ideal for me or you I know, trust me I’ve tried many ways around it but just means I can’t do the film otherwise.”
The announcement of her role in Steve comes in the midst of her curatorship at this year’s Meltdown Festival, which is featuring performances from the likes of The Streets and James Blake.