Peaky Blinders movie on the way

This is the news fans of the gangster TV show, Peaky Blinders, have wanted to hear. Finally, there is going to be a movie! According to the show’s creator, Steven Knight, the script for the upcoming Peaker Blinders film is nearly completed.

Talking during an interview with the Heart Radio Breakfast show with Jamie Theakston and Zoe Hardman, Knight said: “Yes, I’m writing it right now, I’m nearly done writing it, and I’m setting up some film and television studios in Digbeth in Birmingham [to shoot it]. It’s where the Peaky Blinders actually roamed, so it’s like Peaky is coming home.”

Residents of England’s second city, Birmingham, will be delighted to hear their city will get a share of the limelight. It might not be what most want their city to be famous for, but, as the saying goes, all publicity is good publicity. Location shots and tours could become a welcome tourist attraction for the city in the coming years.

For anyone who has missed out on the phenomenon that is Peaky Blinders, here is a quick recap (pardon the pun): this is a BBC TV drama that was first aired in 2013; there have now been six series starring Cillian Murphy, Paul Anderson, and Sophie Rundle. Peaky Blinders is a gangster family epic set in England in the 1900s. The family are known for their sharp suits and sharper headwear – with razor blades sewn into the peaks of their caps. Murphy plays gang leader Thomas Shelby. The storyline follows Shelby and his brothers as they return to Birmingham after discharge from the British Army post World War I. The gang controls the city, but that is not the full scope of their ambitions. The ruthless Shelby plans to build on his business empire and will not let anyone stand in his way. The family are bookmakers, racketeers and gangsters. Arthur might be the oldest of the family members, but his younger brother Tommy has the brains and ambition. 

Rather like the original story, Peaky Blinders‘s success has gone much further than might initially have been imagined by either Knight or the BBC. A feature film is just the latest in a series of spin-offs that have amplified the success of the series. One of the bigger brand extensions was a partnership with Pragmatic Play, an online gaming provider that has a number of high RTP slots in their portfolio. The Peaky Blinders online game features the famous soundtrack from the TV show. Of course, it also has a symbol for the infamous “By Order of the Peaky Blinders” diktat.

In addition, an immersive live theatre show has recently launched at the Camden Garrison called The Rise. It seems that there is no limit to where the franchise will take fans next. World-renowned ballet company Rambert brought Peaky Blinders to the stage earlier this month for a limited run of performances at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre. The dance event is called The Redemption of Thomas Shelby and runs until 6^th November. 

Not much is known about the film’s plot so far. Knight has been keeping shtum about whether it will be a prequel, set before the end of World War I, or a follow-on from the season six finale. He did confirm that familiar faces from the TV series would be in the cast, and it is hard to imagine Peaky Blinders without Cillian Murphy. However, Knight did say that there would be “some new faces that will hopefully be quite surprising”.

In the interview, Knight said that he hoped filming would be underway within 18 months and added, “I’m looking forward to having a Peaky event people can watch together.”

Covid-19 restrictions prevented the show’s proposed seventh series from being shot in 2020. However, when the news was broken that the episodes had been cancelled, it was announced that a feature-length movie would be happening. Knight’s interview has confirmed this to be true.

The editorial unit