It’s official: Netflix has confirmed a Peaky Blinders film is in the works, with Cillian Murphy reprising his iconic role as Tommy Shelby.
Series creator Steven Knight sent fans into a frenzy back in April when he finally confirmed that the film was happening.
The project has now been picked up by Netflix, and will be helmed by Tom Harper, who directed episodes of the show’s first season back in 2013.
Cillian, who won his first Oscar back in March, said: “It seems like Tommy Shelby wasn’t finished with me…”
“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.”
Harper added: “When I first directed ‘Peaky Blinders’ over 10 years ago, we didn’t know what the series would become, but we did know that there was something in the alchemy of the cast and the writing that felt explosive.
“‘Peaky’ has always been a story about family – and so it’s incredibly exciting to be reuniting with Steve and Cillian to bring the movie to audiences across the world on Netflix.”
The film adaptation has been written by the show’s creator, Steven Knight, who will co-produce alongside Cillian, Caryn Mandabach and Guy Heeley.
“I’m genuinely thrilled that this movie is about to happen,” Knight said. “It will be an explosive chapter in the ‘Peaky Blinders’ story. No holds barred. Full on ‘Peaky Blinders’ at war.”
Steven Knight confirmed the Peaky Blinders movie was in works at the premiere of his new BBC show This Town back in April.
He said: “He is definitely returning for it. We’re shooting it in September just down the road in Digbeth.”
The movie is set to begin filming in September at Digbeth Loc Studios in Birmingham and will be set during the Second World War.
After winning Best Actor at the Academy Awards in March, Cillian answered a series of questions and made it seem unlikely that he would ever return to our screens as Tommy Shelby.
At the time he said: “I loved playing him. He was exhausting and so wildly different for me that each time going back was kind of a journey.”
“I’m really not sentimental about work. I feel like the next thing is the most exciting thing. And I mean, it was a ten-year period in my life, so it is significant, but I always feel, like, let’s keep moving.”
However, Cillian previously said he would consider stepping back into character if the creator wanted to make a movie adaptation.
Speaking on Desert Island Discs, he admitted he was “relieved” when the legendary drama ended in 2022, but added that he feels differently about it now and would “totally” be on board with filming a movie.
He explained: “I have always said that if Knight delivers a script that I know he can deliver, because he is such a phenomenal writer, I’ll be there. If we want to watch 50-year-old Tommy Shelby, let’s do it.”
