Will there be a Peaky Blinders movie? Could a film replace season seven, and potential cast and release date

Peaky Blinders, the Birmingham gangster epic that charts the rise and rise of Thomas ‘Tommy’ Shelby, is currently in its final season.

So far the show has seen the Shelby brothers take on dodgy policemen, rival gangsters, fascist politicians and even the Mafia.

After facing off against this nest of vipers, you’d think there would be nowhere further for Shelby to go.

However, if there’s one event that can make Mosley’s little Hitler seem like small fry, it’s the Second World War with actual Hitler, and that’s exactly what could come next, as rumours circulate about the potential for a movie.

But how likely is a Peaky Blinders feature film, when will it be released, and who will star in the ambitious project?

Here’s what cast and crew have said about a possible Peaky Blinders film.

Will there be a Peaky Blinders movie?

Show producer and writer Steven Knight told Variety in October 2021 that he expected to begin shooting a Peaky Blinders film in 18 months’ time.

Knight told Empire in January that the ending of the Peaky Blinders series, which is expected to see the first whispers of the Second World War, is where the film will start.

Echoing Churchill, Knight told Empire: “I think of this sixth series as the end of the beginning.”

He also said that the film would be made instead of a seventh season of the show.

Knight revealed that the final episode of season six will be 81 minutes long and will in effect be a “dry run for the feature film.”

The final season of the show is laying the groundwork for the as yet untitled feature film, and introducing characters that are likely to appear in it.

What will the plot be?

In another conversation with Variety, Knight said that the film was a fully formed idea “with a beginning, middle and end.”

Few details about the plot are known, except for its Second World War setting, and it is expected to tell two distinct stories.

Since season one, Tommy Shelby, the show’s antihero, has been suffering from PTSD caused by his time spent in the trenches of France.

Tommy has been plagued by visions of a ‘grey man’, a soldier from the Great War that comes back to haunt him throughout the series.

It would be interesting to see how Tommy reacts to the outbreak of another global conflict - whether he will succumb to terror or find a business opportunity in the mayhem.

Who would star in a Peaky Blinders film?

Esquire reported in February that Knight said a Peaky Blinders film would involve Cillian Murphy, who plays Tommy Shelby in the show.

However, Murphy then told Esquire that nothing had been confirmed, but he would be open to ideas.

Whether or not this is Murphy taking a line from the Andrew Garfield “It’s a photoshop” playbook, is not yet clear.

But it is certainly hard to imagine a Peaky Blinders movie without the gang’s leader.

Knight also stated that Arthur Shelby, Tommy’ troubled brother, played by Paul Anderson in the series, would also feature in the film.

It is currently unknown whether other Peaky Blinders mainstays such as Alfie Solomons (Tom Hardy), Gina Gray (Anya Taylor-Joy), and Michael Gray (Fin Cole) will appear in the film.

Knight told Radio Times that he was already speaking with “so many great actors” for casting the film.

If Knight really is using season six to introduce some of the movie’s cast, then it’s very possible that Stephen Graham could be involved.

Graham’s role as Hayden Stagg, a man pilfering opium from the Peaky Blinders in episode three of the sixth season brings on a cathartic emotional scene.

James Frecheville, who plays American exporter and fascist sympathiser Jack Nelson, and Conrad Khan, who plays Tommy’s illegitimate son, Duke are also new to season six and may appear in the film.

Is there a release date for the Peaky Blinders film?

No official release date has been announced for a Peaky Blinders film.

However, if Knight’s start date for filming is accurate, production is expected to begin around April 2023, so a release date some time in 2024 would be entirely possible.

Where can I watch Peaky Blinders series 1-6?

All episodes of Peaky Blinders season 1-5 and the first three episodes of season 6 are available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.

Season 6 episode 4 will air on BBC One on 20 March at 9pm and be available to watch on BBC iPlayer shortly after it is first broadcast.

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