Steven Knight Plans New ‘Peaky Blinders’ Generation After Tommy Shelby’s Farewell
The Netflix film The Immortal Man delivers the long-forecast conclusion to the Peaky Blinders saga. Creator Steven Knight wrote the screenplay and Tom Harper directed the feature.
The series first premiered on BBC Two thirteen years ago. Netflix acquired international streaming rights a year later.
Plot and historical stakes
The story shifts the Shelbys into the world’s second great conflict. Tommy Shelby is tasked with stopping Nazi counterfeit banknotes from crippling Britain’s economy.
The film opens with a Luftwaffe strike on the Birmingham Small Arms factory. Knight drew on his family history for that sequence. The August 1940 bombing killed 53 employees in reality; Knight’s mother had worked at BSA but was not on duty that night.
Cast and characters
Cillian Murphy returns as Tommy Shelby and serves as an executive producer. Barry Keoghan plays Duke, Tommy’s estranged son and the acting Peaky Blinders leader.
Tim Roth portrays a British fascist named Beckett. Beckett works with the Germans and prefers winning the war with “banknotes, not bombs.” Sophie Rundle, Packy Lee, and Stephen Graham also return in established roles.
Character conflicts
Tommy faces ghosts from his past throughout the film. Knight used the losses of Grace, John, and Ruby to frame Tommy’s emotional state.
Beckett is written to be alluring and ambiguous. That ambiguity creates a genuine choice for Duke between two father figures.
Production and creative choices
Harper had previously directed three TV episodes of the series. Shooting on film allowed larger set pieces and carefully choreographed fight scenes.
The Netflix budget enabled wider scope than television afforded. Knight wanted the movie to remain usable for viewers who had never seen the show.
The soundtrack features contemporary artists. Fontaines D.C. and Nick Cave contributed new recordings for the film.
Beyond the film: studios and spin-off plans
Knight is developing a new Peaky Blinders project that takes place after the war. Steven Knight plans a new Peaky Blinders project about a postwar generation, set after Tommy Shelby’s farewell.
Production will use Knight’s Digbeth Loc. Studios in Birmingham. The space is described as a passion project and a creative hub.
- UB40 are recording a new album at Digbeth Loc.
- Knight hopes for theatre and training collaborations, including the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Legacy and reception
The six-season television run culminates in this film finale. Knight and Harper cite the show’s global fanbase as central to the series’ impact.
Cillian Murphy’s performance helped raise his international profile. Knight says the series resonated in places far from Birmingham.
The Immortal Man screened briefly in cinemas and is now streaming on Netflix.
