Netflix, the streaming giant, has officially announced the production of a Peaky Blinders film, starring the acclaimed actor Cillian Murphy reprising his iconic role as Tommy Shelby, the notorious gangster from Birmingham. This exciting cinematic endeavor is a collaborative effort between Netflix and the BBC, with Tom Harper taking the director’s chair and Steven Knight crafting the screenplay.
In a statement, Murphy expressed his gratitude to the dedicated fan base of the series, dedicating the upcoming film to their unwavering support. “It appears Tommy Shelby has more tales to tell,” the actor remarked to a news outlet. He expressed his enthusiasm for reuniting with Steven Knight and Tom Harper to breathe life into the Peaky Blinders universe on the silver screen, declaring, “This one’s for the fans.”
The series, which concluded its sixth season in April 2022, chronicled the exploits of the Peaky Blinders crime syndicate in the aftermath of World War I. Creator Steven Knight had hinted at extending the narrative in a different medium, and now that vision is materializing. Tom Harper, who directed several episodes of the show’s inaugural season in 2013, is thrilled at the prospect of directing the film, declaring, “It’s going to be a no-holds-barred, explosive addition to the Peaky Blinders legacy.”
Scheduled to commence filming later this year, the movie is poised to be a grand continuation of the acclaimed gangster saga. Set against the backdrop of Birmingham between 1919 and 1934, Peaky Blinders chronicled the rise and fall of the Shelby family amidst a backdrop of radical social, economic, and political change.
Reflecting on the series’ inception, Tom Harper reminisced, “When I first stepped into the world of Peaky Blinders over a decade ago, none of us could have foreseen its immense success, but we knew there was something truly special about the synergy between the cast and the writing. At its core, Peaky Blinders has always been a story of family, so it’s incredibly gratifying to reunite with Steve and Cillian to bring this cinematic experience to audiences worldwide via Netflix.”
The series, which initially aired on BBC Two in 2013 before migrating to BBC One and subsequently gaining global acclaim on Netflix, has left an indelible imprint on the television landscape. With the film on the horizon, enthusiasts of the series can eagerly anticipate a fresh chapter in the Peaky Blinders narrative, one that promises to be as electrifying and enthralling as its small-screen counterpart.