Cillian Murphy, star of Peaky Blinders, shares an update on what's next for his character Tommy Shelby, including a potential Peaky Blinders movie. Peaky Blinders takes place in Birmingham, England, just after World War I, and follows the Peaky Blinders crime gang. Murphy is the leader of the gang and is known for his ambition and resourcefulness as he faces several rivals throughout the series.
The series premiered in 2013 and was created by Steven Knight, who also pens the scripts. Over the years, the BBC One show, which is also available on Netflix, received several accolades including a BAFTA for Best Drama Series. The sixth and final season of Peaky Blinders premiered on Netflix on June 10 and involves both the prohibition in America as well as the rise of fascism in Europe that preceded World War II.
Now, Murphy discusses in an interview with Deadline the possibility of a Peaky Blinders movie. Murphy says that he doesn't know anything about a film yet, but he also notes that he believes it would be beneficial for the cast and crew to have a break between Peaky Blinders season 6 and a potential movie shoot. Murphy does state that if there is a Peaky Blinders film in the works in the future, he wants to be part of it. A full quote from Murphy discussing the possible Peaky Blinders film can be read below:
"[I know] Genuinely nothing and I’d be as excited as anybody to read a script. But I think it’s good for everyone to have a little break. That’s always a healthy thing and then we can regroup. Steve is an insanely busy and in-demand writer, but I know that he loves writing Peaky above all, I’m sure he’s told you the same. He adores it. So I think when the time comes, if there’s more story to be told, I’ll be there."
Although Murphy at this point doesn't have any concrete details on what the plot of a Peaky Blinders movie would entail, Knight stated in an interview with Variety in October 2021 that he is planning to write a Peaky Blinders film in order to conclude the story he started in 2013. In the interview, Knight says that he is planning for the film to be set in Birmingham, and he expects the film to start production in 2023. A production start date in 2023 certainly would give Murphy his desired hiatus from the series before filming the movie, although fans of the series will be eager for a Peaky Blinders film to come out as soon as possible.
With the timeline of Peaky Blinders season 6 continuing into the 1930s, and including the rise of fascism across Europe, there is a possibility that a Peaky Blinders film will take place during World War II. Should a film take place during World War II, particularly if it took place close to the end of the war, it would offer a sort of full-circle closure as the beginning of the series takes place just after World War I. At the moment, Knight is holding plot details of a Peaky Blinders movie close to his chest, and fans of the critically acclaimed period drama will have to continue following what new information comes forth about the next chapter in Tommy Shelby's life.
Source: Deadline