Cillian Murphy’s Forgotten Action Movie That Was Originally Planned In Minecraft Finally Finds New Streaming Home 9 Years Later

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Cillian Murphy doesn’t often appear in action movies, but one of his best, lesser-known films is now available to stream.

I recently watched Free Fire, and it was a wild ride! It’s directed by Ben Wheatley, and I play an IRA member back in the late 70s. Basically, we head to this warehouse in Boston to make a gun deal – there’s an arms dealer, a middleman, and all their people. But old grudges quickly flare up, and before you know it, everyone’s shooting at each other over the money and the weapons. It’s just a total chaotic shootout!

After being available for free on platforms like Fandango, the action-comedy Free Fire is finding a new streaming home on Netflix. The movie, which came out almost ten years ago, will be available on Netflix starting February 10th.

Released in 2016, Free Fire starred Brie Larson (an Academy Award winner) alongside Armie Hammer, Sharlto Copley, Jack Reynor, Babou Ceesay, and Sam Riley. Critics generally liked the film, giving it a 69% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, audiences were more split, with a lower score of 52%. Unfortunately, the movie didn’t earn back its $7 million production cost in theaters.

Despite all of this, Free Fire has a rather unusual backstory. It was director Ben Wheatley’s first traditionally-structured project following his more experimental films like the acclaimed Kill List and the sci-fi thriller High-Rise. Interestingly, Wheatley actually planned out the entire movie in Minecraft, with help from the son of producer Andy Starke.

To best utilize the film’s single setting and drawing inspiration from sources like Evil Dead 2 and a famous Miami shootout, the director used the popular game Minecraft to help with the planning process. He started by creating a basic map of the location, which a designer then expanded upon to help the team visualize how the story would move through the warehouse and ensure a smooth flow for the script.

The release of Free Fire on Netflix is well-timed for fans of Cillian Murphy. It’s coming out only a month before Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man hits the platform on March 20th. This new Peaky Blinders film is just the beginning of the franchise’s revival, as the creator, Steven Knight, is also developing a two-season sequel series. Murphy is set to executive produce the series, though it’s currently unknown if he’ll reprise his role as Tommy Shelby.

This news follows closely after the announcement of Cillian Murphy’s return as Jim in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, the second film in Danny Boyle’s new zombie trilogy. Considering the first revival movie will be available on Netflix about three months after its cinema release, the 2026 sequel is likely to appear on the platform around April. This could mean Murphy will be featured prominently on Netflix’s most-watched list for at least three months.

As a film buff, I think a big reason Free Fire could really take off on Netflix is simply that it hasn’t been readily available to stream for a while. Add to that the amazing cast and the fact it’s a bit of a hidden gem in a genre that often does well on streaming, and I think directors Wheatley and Murphy might finally find the audience their film deserved years ago. It’s a recipe that’s worked for other movies before, and I’m excited to see if it happens here!

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2026-01-25 20:28