Highlights
- Cillian Murphy reprises his role as Tommy Shelby in the film Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.
- The film arrives four years after the final season of Peaky Blinders.
- Creator Steven Knight says the franchise will continue with a new generation of Shelby stories.
Murphy reflects on the rise of a global phenomenon
Cillian Murphy has described the loyalty of fans of Peaky Blinders as “wonderfully humbling” as he returns as crime boss Tommy Shelby in the feature film Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.
The Irish actor first played the Birmingham gangster when the BBC drama launched in 2013, and now reprises the role 13 years later for the big-screen continuation.
Speaking on BBC One’s Breakfast, Murphy said the show’s success had grown gradually rather than through heavy promotion.
“It came out and then very slowly it became this phenomenon, and it was down to the fans,” he said, adding that the film feels like “a return on your investment” for viewers who have supported the series over the years.
The film arrives four years after the programme’s sixth and final season. In the intervening period, Murphy won an Academy Awards, a BAFTA Awards and a Golden Globe Awards for his performance in Oppenheimer.
New faces join the Shelby world
The film introduces several new characters to the Peaky Blinders universe. Barry Keoghan appears as Tommy Shelby’s son Duke, while Rebecca Ferguson and Tim Roth also join the cast.
Series creator Steven Knight said the popularity of the drama has helped attract leading performers.
“When we approach pretty much anybody they say yes,” he said, adding that the enthusiasm of fans has been a major source of energy for the production team.
Knight noted that supporters of the series have shown their loyalty in various ways, from tattoos to themed costumes, even without large-scale marketing.
The film will have a two-week cinema run before arriving on Netflix on 20 March. Knight said the theatrical release was intended to give fans a chance to experience the story together on the big screen.
A wartime chapter for Tommy Shelby
Set in 1940 during World War II, the story finds Tommy Shelby living in isolation at the start of the conflict.
Murphy said the character has withdrawn from society, haunted by the consequences of his past actions. Shelby is shown writing a book as a form of therapy before being drawn back into the criminal world he once led.
Ultimately, Murphy explained, it is his son who pulls him back into the orbit of the Peaky Blinders.
Early reviews for the film have been mixed. Publications including The Guardian and Empire awarded it three stars, while The Times gave it four, describing it as entertaining if not subtle.
Knight has also indicated that the story does not mark the end of the franchise. After the film, the Peaky Blinders world is expected to return to television with stories focusing on the next generation of the Shelby family following the war.
