Cillian Murphy Stars In New School Drama, Steve
Cillian Murphy may be returning to the world of Peaky Blinders when the new Netflix film releases in the near future- but he’s also taking a very different kind of role to Tommy Shelby later this year. Steve stars Murphy as the headteacher at a school for troubled children who have difficulty in education and society, and his attempts to help them succeed, while fighting his own mental health struggles. Set to release in September, here’s everything we know so far.
What is Steve about?
Steve is based on the book Shy by Max Porter, set at a school for boys who have behavioural problems, and are unable to attend the same schools as their peers. Taking place in the ’90s, it follows the headmaster, Steve (Murphy), who, despite his often gruelling and difficult job, is keen to help all his students reach their full potential. The school, however, is facing closure, and the head teacher starts a campaign to keep its doors open to keep offering opportunities for troubled kids.
Running parallel to Steve’s story is that of Shy (played by Jay Lycurgo), a pupil at the school who struggles with impulsive behaviour and violent tendencies, masking his private thoughts and feelings. The school is described as giving a “last chance” for boys with these problems to avoid a lifetime of punishment and regret, and Shy tries to forge a better life path for himself- but not without significant headwinds. Despite his position, Steve himself faces mental health struggles of his own and tries to keep himself together in front of those who depend on him.
What else do we know, and is there a release date?
There isn’t yet much else that’s been revealed about Steve and its plot, but we do have a first look image of Murphy in the role of the head teacher, as well as the names of some of the other notable cast members, including Tracey Ullman (The Tracey Ullman Show), Emily Watson (Chernobyl), and Simbi Ajikawo (Top Boy). There’s no trailer yet, but Steve is set to release in UK cinemas on 19th September, followed by a release on Netflix.
