Cillian Murphy’s Sci-Fi Hit Sunshine Surges on Apple TV

November 15, 2026 Rachel Kim – Technology Editor Technology

Sunshine is currently one of the ten most-watched movies on Apple TV in the world, Collider reported.

The Tech TL;DR:

  • Apple TV expanded its streaming catalog beyond its seven-year tradition of only showcasing original movies to include non-Apple TV films in a section titled “Great Movies Available Now on Apple TV”.
  • Cillian Murphy’s 19-year-old sci-fi film Sunshine emerged among the titles drawing new viewership on the platform.
  • The 2007 feature film was directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland.

Subscribers have been thoroughly entertained by a fantastic lineup of contemporary and vintage films ever since Apple TV grew its catalog. Breaking away from its seven-year practice of exclusively distributing original movies, the platform broadened its offerings by adding licensed titles into a dedicated category named “Great Movies Available Now on Apple TV”.

Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Ryan Murphy’s Eat, Pray, Love, the 2019 Marvel release Spider-Man: Far From Home, and several others are among the titles that have recently arrived on Apple TV.

A further surprising addition to the platform’s catalog is a 19-year-old science fiction masterpiece starring Cillian Murphy, who has experienced yet another hectic 12 months. Earlier this year, the performer concluded the journey of his most iconic persona, Tommy Shelby, when Steven Knight’s high-budget movie Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man debuted on Netflix to massive success.

Pulling in 25.3 million views during its initial three days available, The Immortal Man demonstrated that the Peaky Blinders franchise retains plenty of momentum, leading to two separate six-episode seasons being greenlit ahead of the movie’s premiere due to overwhelming fan demand.

An additional standout appearance for Murphy in 2026 occurred during the closing moments of Nia DaCosta’s 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, where he stepped back into the shoes of Jim to set up the conclusion of the franchise.

Filmmaker Danny Boyle and scribe Alex Garland produced incredible zombie-thriller brilliance with the original 28 Days Later, before collaborating half a decade afterward on the aforementioned science fiction hit currently climbing the Apple TV charts.

Drawing influence from both the naval warfare movie Das Boot and Ridley Scott’s Alien, this standout project from Boyle and Garland also showcases a prominent ensemble cast supporting Murphy, featuring Chris Evans, Rose Byrne, Michelle Yeoh, and Hiroyuki Sanada from Shōgun.

Collider notes that while Sunshine is an ambitious and frequently stunning sci-fi venture that struggles slightly under its own ambitions during its final act, it makes a fully warranted appearance among the top Apple TV titles despite its lacklustre performance at theaters back in 2007.

Sunshine arrived on April 5, 2007 with a runtime of 107 minutes under the direction of Danny Boyle.

Always consult with certified IT and cybersecurity professionals before altering enterprise networks or handling sensitive data.

Keep reading