Highlights:
- The actor confirms the upcoming Netflix movie will bring closure to the renowned character.
- Murphy discusses the unique experience of getting older while playing a part for nearly a decade.
- He simultaneously promotes his new Netflix drama Steve, a stark contrast to his gangster persona.
- The Peaky Blinders film is written by series creator Steven Knight and will soon begin production.
Cillian Murphy has finally offered fans a significant clue about the long-awaited Peaky Blinders film. The Oscar winner confirmed the Netflix project will serve as a conclusive finale for his complex character, Tommy Shelby. This fresh insight comes as Murphy promotes his new school drama, Steve, showcasing his remarkable range beyond the world of organised crime.
Cillian Murphy admits playing Tommy Shelby for 12 years changed him and promises ‘Peaky Blinders’ movie ends the saga right Getty Images
What can we expect from the Peaky Blinders movie?
Alright, so the big question everyone wants answered is: what is the deal with the film? Murphy has been typically tight-lipped. He does not like to spoil a thing. But he did let something slip recently that feels like a massive relief. He called it a “fitting end” and the “right way to finish” the whole saga. That is huge. So forget another open-ended series finale. This sounds like proper closure. Steven Knight is back writing it and filming is supposed to kick off soon. The real mystery is how on earth Tommy gets out of the last mess we saw him in.
Cillian Murphy reveals Peaky Blinders movie will finally give Tommy Shelby a fitting end fans have long awaitedGetty Images
How has playing Tommy Shelby for so long affected Cillian Murphy?
Think about it. Twelve years. That is a quarter of his life spent inside Tommy Shelby’s head. That has got to leave a mark, right? Murphy himself calls it a “privilege” but is quick to laugh that he is nothing like the “psychopathic gangster” he portrays. The interesting bit is how he talks about ageing with the role. You do not get that in films. It is a novelistic approach, he says. Thirty-six hours of television lets you dig into every dark corner of a person, even if, in Tommy’s case, most of those corners are pretty bleak. It has been a defining project, no doubt, the one everyone knows him for even after all his other projects.
What is Cillian Murphy’s new film Steve about?
So, while we are all waiting for the Peaky Blinders film, he has another Netflix project hitting the platform. It is called Steve, and it is about as far from Shelby’s world as you can get. He plays a headteacher in a 1990s reform school. It is a single, brutal day where everything goes wrong. It is intense, focused on men’s mental health and those kids the system has given up on.
Murphy describes it as a “love letter to teachers,” which is not a phrase you would ever associate with Thomas Shelby. He can command a criminal empire one minute and portray a crumbling educator the next. It makes you appreciate the skill involved.
When will the Peaky Blinders movie be released?
The honest answer? Nobody knows for sure. The wheels are in motion. The script is done, we know that much. Murphy and Knight are both on board and talking about it. Production is meant to start soon. But a solid release date is not available yet. It is definitely happening, though. It is not just rumours anymore. It is the next chapter, and more importantly, the final one. So we will just have to be patient. In the meantime, there is always Steve to watch on Netflix next month.
