5 Things We Know About The New Peaky Blinders Movie

Who else is excited about the Peaky Blinders movie? After dropping hints about a possible feature film, show creator Steven Knight confirmed that it would be going ahead in an interview with Heart FM last week. Although it’s still in the early stages, here’s everything we know about the silver screen debut of the Shelby family. (Spoilers for series 6!)

1. It’s been written

In the Heart FM interview, Knight stated that he is nearly done writing the film, with shooting hopefully beginning within 18 months, which is in line with his previous comments that he wanted to go into production in 2023. Although we aren’t given any definitive dates, we can estimate that the film will be released in late 2024 or early 2025. The show has so far had 1 to 2.5 years between series (although the pandemic paused production between series 5 and 6) so a 2024 release seems likely.

2. It will be filmed in Birmingham

Knight has decided to film this instalment of the Peaky Blinders world in its hometown Birmingham, with filming to be set up both on location and in studios in Digbeth. This will be quite the departure from the TV show, which was filmed mostly up north in places such as Liverpool and Northwich, as well as midlands-own Black Country Living Museum in Dudley. Knight stated that, since the real Peaky Blinders operated in Digbeth and Small Heath, “it’s like Peaky’s coming home”.

3. Returning characters

It was a relief to see our favourite bookmaker-turned-MP Tommy Shelby riding off into the hills on his white horse at the end of the series, with his terminal diagnosis revealed as a lie. This leaves Tommy free to return for the movie, and according to Knight, both he and his brother Arthur will be back. In addition to the old faces, some of the fresh blood introduced in series 6, including Liverpool’s unionist dock worker Hayden Stagg and Tommy’s newly-discovered son Erasmus ‘Duke’ Shelby, are expected to return too.

4. World War 2

Although we don’t know the specifics of the plot or time period of the movie just yet, Knight has frequently said that he intends to set it around the Second World War. Speaking to the Metro earlier this year, he said: “It’s a very specific story, that’s based on a true story from the Second World War and will be told in the Peaky way.” As the first series begun the year after the end of the First World War, this would be a fitting way to wrap up the saga.

5. It might not be the end

On a panel at the BFI London Film Festival, Knight gave us all some hope that we would see the Peaky cast beyond the movie. Although it “will probably be the sort of the end of the road for Peaky Blinders as we know it”, he did suggest that the world of Peaky Blinders could continue in other shows. Maya-Alexandra, who writes for Birmingham-based site We Love Brum, speculates: “the arrival of Duke and his kicking Finn out of the Shelby family hints at a rivalry between the two boys that could be explored in the film or maybe a spin-off show.” Could a new generation of Shelbys be taking over from the old guard? Although this is not confirmed, we can only hope that the movie will not be the last we ever see of the Shelby family.