Irish actor Cillian Murphy is regarded as one of the finest actors in the industry, and his Academy Award-winning movie Oppenheimer goes on to prove that. The actor is also popularly known for his work on Netflix’s Peaky Blinders as Thomas Shelby. The Irish Times named Murphy one of the greatest Irish film actors of all time in 2020.
Oppenheimer was Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy’s sixth collaboration, which started with 2005’s Batman trilogy. The two of them became one of the most iconic actors/director duo, just like Al Pacino and Francis Ford Coppola. Interestingly, during his press tour for Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy, in an interview, suggested an Al Pacino movie as his favorite, and it’s not what the audience would expect.
Cillian Murphy picks Al Pacino’s Scarecrow as his all-time favorite
Directed by Jerry Schatzberg in 1973, Scarecrow is a road drama movie starring Al Pacino and Gene Hackman. The story follows two men from California to Pittsburgh who wish to start a business. Upon release, the movie underperformed at the box office and was declared a disappointment only to attain cult status years later.
During an appearance on Konbini alongside Christopher Nolan, Cillian Murphy picked Scarecrow as his ‘all-time favorite film ever’. The actor explained that the actors Pacino and Hackman were at the top of their careers when they decided to sign on the movie. He also added about the movie,
They shot it all in sequence, all the way across America. It’s absolutely beautifully shot.
Al Pacino Collider describes that the union of Hackman and Pacino turned the road-drama movie into a haunting, emotional road film, which went on to explore a very dark side of the American dream. In an interview with Far Out Magazine, Murphy mentioned,
I rented this film by mistake when I was 15 with my brother. They told us it was a scary movie. It pretty much made me want to be an actor. Al Pacino will break your heart. And Gene Hackman will break your other heart.
After attaining cult status, the director Jerry Schatzberg hired Seth Cohen to work on the movie’s sequel. Unfortunately, Hackman’s retirement from acting ended the progress on the sequel.
Cillian Murphy to reunite with Peaky Blinders’ stars for the upcoming movie
Fans cannot contain their excitement for the Peaky Blinders movie, especially with Murphy returning as Thomas Shelby. Now, according to Variety, cast members from the show, including Stephen Graham, Sophie Rundle, Ned Dennehy, and more, will be joining Murphy in the next chapter of Shelby’s life.
Rundle played Thomas Shelby’s sister, Ada Thorne, all throughout the six seasons, while Graham played Hayden Stagg, the union leader of Liverpool dock workers, and Dennehy portrayed Charlie Strong. Packy Lee as Johnny Dogs and Ian Peck as Curly are also set to return to the clan.
The plot of the movie is kept under wraps, but creator Steven Knight shared with The Mirror about the increase in the budget. He added,
The biggest difference between a film and a TV series is the budget. When you do stuff for TV, you often have to ask people to imagine it. But with a film, you can do it. You can blow stuff up. Will Tommy be giving James Bond a run for his money? Maybe. There are parallels. We always thought of Peaky as very cinematic, so we are finally finding a screen big enough for what we want to do.
The upcoming movie is directed by Tom Harper from a script by Knight, with Murphy serving as a producer. Barry Keoghan and Rebecca Ferguson, along with Tim Roth have also joined the cast in undisclosed characters. Keoghan had previously shared in an interview with EW that he is a massive fan of the show, adding that Cillian Murphy is a good friend.
The actor noted that he’s just looking forward to getting into his process for the movie, for which he is excited and nervous at the same time. There has been no date set for the movie yet.
Peaky Blinders season 1-6 is streaming on Netflix.
Frequently asked questions
What is Cillian Murphy’s favorite Al Pacino movie?
Cillian Murphy has named the 1973 road drama Scarecrow as one of his all-time favorite films. Directed by Jerry Schatzberg, it stars Al Pacino and Gene Hackman as two men traveling from California to Pittsburgh hoping to start a business together. Speaking on Konbini alongside Christopher Nolan, Murphy praised how it was shot in sequence across America, calling it absolutely beautifully shot, rather than picking better-known Pacino films like The Godfather or Scarface.
Why does Cillian Murphy love the movie Scarecrow so much?
As reported by Far Out Magazine, Murphy said he rented Scarecrow by mistake at age 15 with his brother after being told it was a scary movie, and it pretty much made him want to be an actor. He praised the performances of Al Pacino and Gene Hackman, saying, “Al Pacino will break your heart. And Gene Hackman will break your other heart.”
Which Peaky Blinders cast members are in the movie?
The Peaky Blinders film, titled Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, sees Cillian Murphy return as Tommy Shelby alongside returning cast members Stephen Graham, Sophie Rundle, Ned Dennehy, Packy Lee, and Ian Peck. New additions include Barry Keoghan as Tommy’s son, Rebecca Ferguson, and Tim Roth as the antagonist. Directed by Tom Harper from a script by Steven Knight, with Murphy also producing, the film premiered in March 2026 and was released globally on Netflix on March 20, 2026.
