Peaky Blinders finished with both big f*cking bangs and small mercies. Tommy Shelby’s final scenes of the series could have fittingly been the end, but by popular curiosity, Cillian Murphy and series creator Steven Knight decided to continue Tommy’s Birmingham adventures with a feature film. God only knows where either creative force found the time, and Knight in particular has been occupied with getting another gang, the Forty Elephants, off the ground with A Thousand Blows series (including a Stephen Graham crossover) on Hulu.
Although we might not ever receive another Taboo season from Knight, it sure sounds like we’ll get much more Peaky, so let’s get down to business on what to expect from the Immortal Man movie.
Cast
Obviously, Cillian Murphy is back as Tommy, and amid the list of returning cast members from the BBC/Netflix show, we can count in Stephen Graham (as Hayden Stagg), Sophie Rundle (as Ada Shelby Thorne), Packy Lee (Johnny Dogs), Ned Dennehy (Charlie Strong), and Ian Peck (Curly).
A strong hint has now arrived on the mystery of whether Paul Anderson could return as Arthur Shelby after his legal troubles. And it’s not looking good.
Actress Kate Phillips recently confirmed (via Radio Times) she will not return as Arthur’s wife, Linda (“I’m not. There were discussions and then it didn’t pan out”). If we consider the duo a package deal, this likely seals the deal (albeit without a production statement) on Anderson sitting this one out.
Likewise, Finn Cole has put a nail in the idea of Michael Gray possibly returning as the ghost of Insufferable Michael. In doing so, Cole remarked, “It seems like there’s a whole new cast,” which heads right into our next paragraph.
New characters will be portrayed by Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Roth, and Barry ^^^ Keoghan, and speculation remains strong that the latter will be portraying the older version of Duke Shelby, the illegitimate son of Tommy, who he aimed to have take over the illegal side of the family business.
And what of Tom Hardy as Alfie Solomons? Thus far, no confirmation or denial has surfaced, but it’s not difficult to imagine the Jewish gangster returning for revisionist history in WWII. Additionally, it would be a wasted opportunity to not bring back Sam Claflin as fascist/Hitler ally Sir Oswald Mosley, and perhaps the Blinders can get the job done this time after Barney Thompson (Cosmo Jarvis) was halted from completing his sniper mission. Does it matter that Mosley lived until 1980 IRL? No way. Knight has a grand time with tweaking historical events to make better TV, so let the good times roll.
Plot
Plot details have been super sparse other than the acknowledgement that there will be a time jump for a WWII-set story, as Knight Knight told Tudum: “The country is at war, and so, of course, are our Peaky Blinders.”
Knight also recently informed BBC Breakfast (via Variety), “I would say this, wouldn’t I? But it’s fantastic. We’ve got the best, I think, the best British actors all in one place.” He added, “[N]o one will be disappointed. It is quite an incredible thing.” Then came the most illuminating part: “It’s a very fitting way to end this part of the ‘Peaky’ story.” Say what? “This part, yes … I’m not allowed to announce it, but I’m just saying that the world of ‘Peaky’ will continue.”
Previously, Knight admitted to LA Times that the fandom’s appetite has essentially provided for this movie and more:
“I always knew that the story of Tommy and the Shelby family wouldn’t end with Season 6. There is such a huge global appetite for the world of ‘Peaky Blinders,’ and so much more story to tell. I think it was around the end of Season 2 when I felt that the fan base deserved a say in the trajectory of Peaky. I’ve taken the family into World War II, and the movie we have shot is wild, explosive and deeply emotional. Even when the movie is done, there is more to come. Watch this space.”
Reading between the lines, in addition to Cillian Murphy acknowledging Tommy’s return as “this one’s for the fans,” this sounds like the ideal time for Tommy to officially pass his illegitimate business interests to Duke. Yet it remains to be seen whether an older version of Tommy and Grace’s son, Charles, will be on hand for the forward facing side of Shelby Company Ltd. Meanwhile, Ava Shelby will return with her unconditional love for Tommy, although if Lizzie is lucky, she will still be separated from him. And will we see a tribute to the late Helen McCrory as Polly? Fingers crossed.
Release Date
Netflix confirmed that filming completed last December, and although a precise release date hasn’t been revealed, Knight let Deadline know that “you can sort of work out that it will be about a year.” Peaky Fookin’ Blinders for the holidays sounds entirely possible.
Trailer
In lieu of a trailer, would you care for an hour straight of Peaky walking?