Cillian Murphy, fresh from his Oscar triumph for his role in the previous year’s historical sensation “Oppenheimer,” is gearing up to both produce and take the lead in the film adaptation of “Blood Runs Coal.” This gripping true crime narrative delves into the chilling murder of Joseph Yablonski and his family by a competing mining labor leader during the tumultuous 1960s.
Universal Pictures, the powerhouse behind “Oppenheimer,” has secured the rights for this adaptation. The screenplay will be crafted by the talented duo Jez Butterworth, known for “Ford v Ferrari,” and John-Henry Butterworth, who worked on “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” This development has been widely reported by multiple outlets.
The film is based on “Blood Runs Coal: The Yablonski Murders and the Battle for the United Mine Workers of America,” a true crime book penned by Mark A. Bradley and published in 2020. It meticulously documents the assassination of Joseph Yablonski, a labor leader with the United Mine Workers, along with his wife and daughter, at a pivotal moment when the mining industry was on the cusp of significant historical change.
Murphy is set to portray Chip Yablonski, Joseph’s son, who narrowly escaped the fate that befell his family. Chip dedicated his life as an attorney to seeking justice for his father, who was caught in a political rivalry with Tony Boyle, the president of the United Mine Workers. Boyle, who was eventually found guilty of hiring the hitmen responsible for the Yablonski murders, was indicted on conspiracy charges and died in prison 12 years later.
Steve Halvonik, a book reviewer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, described the Yablonski murders as “one of the most shocking episodes in organized labor’s blood-soaked history.”
Joseph Yablonski’s journey began as the son of a coal miner who perished in a mining explosion in the early 1930s. This tragedy spurred him to become actively involved in the United Mine Workers labor union. Despite rampant corruption at the union’s highest levels in Washington, D.C., Yablonski served as an executive board member and president of his local union district in Pennsylvania. In the late 1960s, a group of miners began to voice their opposition to then-President Tony Boyle and his apparent prioritization of mine owners’ interests over those of the workers. Yablonski challenged Boyle for the presidency in 1969 but lost by a significant margin. Following his defeat, Yablonski requested the federal Department of Labor to investigate the election for potential fraud, which led to Boyle ordering Yablonski’s murder.
Cillian Murphy is no stranger to period dramas. Prior to his award-winning performance in “Oppenheimer,” set in 1942, he starred in “Peaky Blinders,” a crime drama set in 1919 England. His filmography also includes “Dunkirk,” a World War II historical thriller; “The Wind that Shakes the Barley,” about the Irish War for Independence; and “Anthropoid,” another WWII film. It was recently confirmed that Murphy will reprise his role as Tommy Shelby in a film continuation of “Peaky Blinders,” following the series’ conclusion in 2022.
As of now, details regarding the release date or production specifics for the “Blood Runs Coal” movie remain undisclosed by Universal Pictures.