Cillian Murphy returns as Tommy Shelby in the cinematic continuation of the period crime drama, but who else in involved and when will we finally get to see it? Chris Wasser finds out
It’s all starting to come together. The Peaky Blinders film, long considered a pipe dream by many, is officially under way. The Academy Award-winning Cillian Murphy will lead the charge, as expected, but who else is involved, what is the film about, why has it taken so long to emerge and when will it hit our screens? Let’s find out…
What is the plot of the Peaky Blinders film?
Details are under wraps, but we know this much: series creator Steven Knight promises an “explosive chapter” in the epic Shelby family saga. “No holds barred,” said Knight, when the as-yet-untitled feature was announced in June. “Full-on Peaky Blinders at war.” This is hardly a surprise. Originally, Knight’s plan was to end Tommy Shelby’s story at the beginning of the Second World War.
Speaking in 2019, he said: “My ambition is to make it a story of a family between two wars. So, I’ve wanted to end it with the first air raid siren in Birmingham in 1939.”
It didn’t work out that way, and Knight told Empire magazine in 2022 that the “revised” Peaky Blinders story would venture “into and beyond the Second World War.” We don’t yet know how that will impact Murphy’s moody protagonist, but rest assured, the usual Peaky trademarks — flat caps, fist fights, and anachronistic needle drops — will remain in place.
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Who is directing the Peaky Blinders movie?
Knight has assembled the screenplay but has hired his old friend, British filmmaker Tom Harper, to direct. Harper’s previous film credits include Wild Rose (excellent), The Woman in Black: Angel of Death (dodgy), The Aeronauts (underrated) and Heart of Stone (best avoided). Harper also directed three episodes in the first season of Peaky Blinders, so he knows the score — he’s played on these grounds before. It could go either way.
Who is in the Peaky Blinders movie?
Cillian Murphy is, of course, our anchor. Without Tommy Shelby, the entire operation would crumble. The great Rebecca Ferguson (Dune, Silo, the Mission: Impossible franchise) will join Murphy, but we haven’t yet been told who she’ll play. Will Paul Anderson’s Arthur Shelby be back? Maybe. Is Anya Taylor-Joy set to reprise her role as Gina Gray? Potentially. Tenner bets Tom Hardy’s Alfie Solomons shows up in some capacity.
Footage shows Cillian Murphy rehearsals for breakout role while at university
What does Cillian Murphy say about the movie?
Before now, Murphy was reluctant to answer questions on the project. “There’s good momentum on that,” he told a reporter in April, “watch this space.” We did, and in June, Murphy finally confirmed what the rest of us had suspected for ages: a Peaky Blinders film was coming.
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“It seems like Tommy Shelby wasn’t finished with me,” Murphy announced in an official Netflix statement (the world’s biggest streaming service is footing the bill for this one). “It is very gratifying to be re-collaborating with Steven Knight and Tom Harper on the film version of Peaky Blinders. This is one for the fans.” Murphy, who will also co-produce, had always said that if Knight developed a tale worth telling, he’d happily sign on for a film. We have no choice but to trust him.
How long has it been in the works?
In 2021, Knight confirmed that the sixth season of Peaky Blinders would be the last, but that the story would continue “in another form”. Speaking to Deadline, Knight said: “Covid changed our plans. But I can say that my plan from the beginning was to end Peaky with a movie. That is what is going to happen.”
Indeed, and the original outline almost certainly included Helen McCrory’s Polly, awesome matriarch of the notorious Shelby clan. Sadly, McCrory died of breast cancer in 2021 — she had already started work on the final season, but Knight decided to rewrite and reshoot in her absence.
“The way these things are scheduled, it’s like turning an oil tanker around,” he explained. “We just felt, also with the loss of Helen [McCrory], that it all seemed to be pointing towards doing what I’m calling ‘the end of the beginning’. Let’s end the beginning, then let’s do the film. And then let’s see where we go in terms of spin-offs.”
When does shooting begin?
The BBC reported earlier this year that production would begin in September in Digbeth, Birmingham. If that’s true, then the film has probably locked in its supporting cast. Expect more announcements soon.
When will it be released?
Do not expect to see the Peaky Blinders film in 2024. Production will likely last a few months, and Knight and his team will be in no mood to rush this project. Will it get a cinema release? A limited one, perhaps, but with Netflix distributing the film, we’re probably looking at a major global streaming launch at some point in 2025. We’ll keep you posted.
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