Peaky Blinders returns for an encore to wrap up its epic gangster saga with a film. Here’s everything we know about the highly anticipated Peaky Blinders movie.
Time to bust out your leather jackets and flap caps, boys and girls. The Peaky Blinders are back … well, almost. They’re on the way, and they’ll be here soon enough. In June, Netflix confirmed that after six brilliant seasons, Peaky Blinders will be returning for a highly anticipated encore, wrapping up its epic gangster saga with a movie.
The hit series is a fictionalized version of a real-life British crime gang that existed and operated in post-World War I Birmingham, England. Peaky Blinders follows Birmingham crime boss Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy, of Oppenheimer) as he works to elevate his family from bickering, nomadic gypsies to the height of British power, only to burn it all down in the end and return to his roots. It captivated audiences with its gritty exploration of the human condition and themes like loyalty, revenge, and family dynamics, and with its pulpy depiction of post-WWI England. The icing on that cake though was Murphy’s visceral performance. However enticing, the series finale left us with a painfully ambiguous ending.
The last time we saw Tommy Shelby, he was riding off—literally on a white horse—hell bent on starting a new life, even if that means returning to who he was pre-crime lord. Where did he wind up? What’s he been doing? Is he still Tommy Shelby? And what of the Shelby clan? It looks like we’ll finally get those answers and a resolution to this saga. Here’s everything we know about the highly anticipated Peaky Blinders movie.
First things first: Is Cillian Murphy returning as Thomas Shelby?
Indeed, he is! Fresh off the heels of winning an Oscar for his work on Oppenheimer, Murphy is back to reprise his role as our favorite British crime lord, gang leader, businessman, and politician, Tommy Shelby. In June, Murphy said in a statement, “It seems like Tommy Shelby wasn’t finished with me … It is very ratifying to be re-collaborating with [Creator] Steven Knight and [Director] Tom Harper on the film version of Peaky Blinders. This one is for the fans.”
What is the Peaky Blinders movie about?
The Peaky Blinders movie, titled A Peaky Blinders Film, is, in a nutshell, about “full-on war”, according to Knight. While you shouldn’t expect it to pick up right where it left off in 1938 (that’s not its M.O.), you should expect an epic continuation of the multi-award-winning gangster saga. Expect to be shocked by the plot, in part because of a significant increase in budget and production values, and to experience a rollercoaster of emotions.
We know that A Peaky Blinders Film is set in the middle of World War II at a time when England was inundated with German bombings. Knight has described it as “an explosive chapter” in the Peaky Blinders story. Not only is the country at war, but so, too, are the Blinders. Tommy has seen war before, so it’ll no doubt be one wild ride to see how he handles this new world conflict, especially in terms of which side he’ll land on during the mother of fights.
In an interview with Empire, Knight said that, “It’s also the end of empire: We enter the Second World War and by the end of it, there is no empire, really. … It will now go into and beyond the Second World War.”
In April 2024, he told New Musical Express (NME) his goal is to shock, delight, and horrify audiences, then delight and shock them again. So there you have it: war, shock, delight, horror, then more delight and shock likely capped off with all the intense feels.
The cast: Who stars in the Peaky Blinders Film?
The cast is a delicious one. In addition to Murphy, other original cast members reprising their roles are Paul Anderson (The Revenant) as Arthur Shelby, Stephen Graham (Snatch) as Hayden Stagg, Sophie Rundle (The Diplomat) as Ada Thorne, Ned Dennehy (Shōgun) as Charlie Strong, Packy Lee (The Witcher) as Johnny Dogs, and Ian Peck (His Dark Materials) as Curly. This is all very exciting, indeed, but it’s the newcomers who are attracting the attention.
Academy Award-nominee (and frequent Quentin Tarantino collaborator) Tim Roth (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law) has signed on to be part of the gang, as have Rebecca Ferguson (Mission: Impossible, Dune franchises) and the Saltburn slurper himself, Barry Keoghan. While we’d love to know their roles and characters, there are currently no deets yet available. There’s also no official word on what–if anything–Keoghan will be slurping this go-round. In a recently revealed first look at the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie, Netflix released an image featuring Keoghan in character leaning out the window of a truck, sporting the Peaky’s signature cap paired with a leather jacket and a fresh cut on his face. There’s no question, he was born to be a Blinder.
Release Date: When can we watch the Peaky Blinders movie?
As of now, there is no word on when the Peaky Blinders movie will be released, nor is there much speculation around a potential release date. However, production reportedly began on September 20, 2024, with filming occurring in Birmingham, England, at the Digbeth studios and on location in Digbeth and Small Heath.
“Digbeth and Small Heath [are] where the Peaky Blinders actually roamed, so it’s like Peaky’s coming home,” Knight said in an interview with British radio station Heart FM back in 2022.
If all goes smoothly, there’s a hot chance the Red Right Hand could be riding back into town by the end of 2025, but we shall see. For now, a release date is TBD.
Is there a teaser trailer for A Peaky Blinders Movie yet?
No teasers or trailers are yet available for the Peaky Blinders movie but keep checking back. As soon as we know, we’ll update it here.
Will the Peaky Blinders film be the end of the Shelby saga?
In late 2021, while sitting on a BFI London Film Festival panel, Knight said that the movie “will probably be the sort of the end of the road for Peaky Blinders as we know it,” which sounds like he plans for the film to be a definitive close to the story. However, he has also hinted it might not be over for the Peaky universe at large.
“We’re talking about … I don’t like the word spin-offs, but TV series that are going to be inspired by and include characters from Peaky,” he told BBC News in 2021, adding to Variety, “There will be other TV shows that I hope will come out of [it], that will continue to tell the story of this part of society and this family.”
As of now, there’s no word on what those potential shows might be, but Knight has indicated that he would likely pass on the writing duties to someone else for new entries into the Peaky universe.
“I just think the energy that is out there in the world for this,” he said. “I want to keep it going, and I want to see how this can progress beyond that.
We do too, Mr. Knight. We do too.
In the meantime, I highly suggest taking the time to acquaint (or re-acquaint) yourself with the epic gangster saga that’ll first capture your attention, then your interest, then very quickly, your heart.
The Peaky Blinders series is currently available to stream on Netflix. Keep an eye on this page for updates about the Peaky Blinders movie!
