Cillian Murphy Drama ‘Small Things Like These’ Lands at Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions
Brian Welk
Lionsgate has landed domestic distribution rights to “Small Things Like These,” the first film in which Cillian Murphy appears since he won his Oscar for “Oppenheimer.”
Murphy stars in and produced “Small Things Like These,” which made its world premiere at this year’s Berlin Film Festival as the opening night film in competition. The film earned strong reviews, with IndieWire saying Murphy gives another “staggering performance” and that it is “a surprisingly understated film, dour and difficult to watch in places, and firmly rooted in Irish culture and history.” It even won co-star Emily Watson the Silver Bear for her performance.
Lionsgate will partner with Roadside Attractions to release “Small Things Like These” in North America, and Lionsgate also acquired rights in the UK and Ireland. No release date has been set.
Based on Claire Keegan’s novel, “Small Things Like These” takes place over Christmas in 1985, when devoted father Bill Furlong (Murphy) discovers the startling secrets being kept by the convent in his town, and some shocking truths about his own life as well.
Tim Mielants, a director on “Peaky Blinders,” directed the film and reunited with Murphy for the first time. The script comes from Enda Walsh, who has also been a longtime collaborator of Murphy’s.
The film was produced by Murphy, Alan Moloney, and Catherine Magee through their Big Things Film banner and was financed and put into production by Artists Equity, the artist-led studio founded by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. For Artists Equity, Matt Damon and Drew Vinton produce, and Ben Affleck, Kevin Halloran, and Michael Joe executive produce. The film is an Irish/Belgian co-production with additional funding coming from Screen Ireland. Belgium’s Wilder Films co-produced.
“Especially since ‘Small Things Like These’ marks the first project from Big Things Films, I’m particularly pleased Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions will bring it to audiences in Ireland, the US and UK,” Murphy said in a statement. “Making the film was labor of love; I can’t wait to talk about it. We are enormously grateful to Artists Equity for their unwavering support throughout this process. From the moment we shared the script, they have been there for us, and we are immensely grateful for their philosophy and partnership.”
“When Cillian and Alan Moloney brought this project to us, we instantly said we wanted to help bring it to life. We couldn’t be prouder of that decision,” Affleck and Damon said. “This is simply a wonderful film, one that we think really does justice to Claire Keegan’s astounding, poignant novella. We are elated to partner with Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions so audiences across the U.S., U.K. and particularly Ireland will be able to see it.”
Kaycee Holcomb and Elin Madadian along with Lauren Bixby negotiated the deal for Lionsgate.
“Small Things Like These” was published in 2021 and won the 2022 Booker Prize, the Rathbones Folio Prize, and the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction, among other acclaim. Keegan’s prior novel, “The Quiet Girl,” was adapted to a feature in 2023 and became Ireland’s first Oscar nominee for International Feature Film, as well as the first time a film in the Irish-language was nominated for an Academy Award.
As he’s previously hinted, the “Peaky Blinders” revival film starring Murphy is officially a go at Netflix, with Murphy returning to star as Thomas Shelby. Tom Harper is directing the feature, and the series’ original creator Steven Knight is writing the script.
