Peaky Blinders Movie Officially (And Finally) Confirmed For Netflix
It's been long awaited and highly anticipated, but the "Peaky Blinders" are officially coming back in movie form. That's right, it's a race to see which gets to six seasons and a movie first: "Community" or the Steven Knight-created British period crime drama.
Deadline has confirmed that Netflix greenlit a "Peaky Blinders" movie, with Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy set to return to the role of Tommy Shelby, leader of the Birmingham criminal gang (the titular Peaky Blinders). The show began airing in 2013 and ran for six seasons until 2022. Knight is back to write the screenplay, with Tom Harper ("War & Peace," "The Aeronauts"), who directed the back half of season 1, helming the feature film.
"It seems like Tommy Shelby wasn't finished with me," Murphy told Deadline. "It is very gratifying to be recollaborating with Steven Knight and Tom Harper on the film version of 'Peaky Blinders.' This is one for the fans." Meanwhile, Knight added, "I'm genuinely thrilled that this movie is about to happen. It will be an explosive chapter in the 'Peaky Blinders' story. No holds barred. Full-on Peaky Blinders at war."
Six seasons and a movie (of Peaky Blinders)
The original "Peaky Blinders" series saw the Shelby family slowly reach for "respectability" by entering politics and leaving criminality behind — or at least hiding it better. But it wasn't easy to get there, as Tommy Shelby had to go through many tragedies, and a few deaths in the family, before it. The final season ended with Tommy leaving the family business to his sister Ada (Sophie Rundle) and riding off into the sunset.
The idea of a "Peaky Blinders" feature film began right as the main series ended, with creator Steven Knight teasing it just after the series finale. As Knight told Deadline, the next logical step for Tommy Shelby is going back where his character started — war. "So for the film, it's actually set in World War II which I think I probably wouldn't have done for series 7," Knight said. "I'd have probably taken it up to the war but because it's a movie then I think we need a sort of gear change."
One major problem the "Peaky Blinders" movie will have to face is how to deal with the loss of Helen McCrory's Aunt Polly Gray, who was vital to the story during all six seasons until the actor's death in 2021 forced the series to kill off the character. Perhaps the movie will show the impact Polly had on Tommy during wartime.
The "Peaky Blinders" movie has yet to set a release date.