Jamie Bell Replaces Duke in ‘Peaky Blinders’; Charlie Heaton Joins Cast

Jamie Bell and Charlie Heaton will lead Steven Knight’s new Peaky Blinders series for the BBC and Netflix. The production is a co-production between the two platforms.

Casting and characters

Jamie Bell will portray Duke Shelby, the eldest son of Tommy Shelby. He steps into a role previously played by Conrad Khan in season six and by Barry Keoghan in the feature follow-up.

In casting headlines, Jamie Bell replaces the Duke role, and Charlie Heaton joins the cast as a principal lead. Details about Heaton’s character remain under wraps.

The announcement also names Jessica Brown Findlay, Lashana Lynch, and newcomer Lucy Karczewski. Karczewski is making her television debut and the trio’s roles have not been disclosed.

Production details

The series received an order for two seasons. Each season will comprise six episodes.

Filming has begun in and around Digbeth Loc. Studios in Birmingham. The show is produced by Banijay UK’s Kudos and Garrison Drama for the BBC.

In the UK, the two seasons will stream on BBC iPlayer and air on BBC One. Netflix will handle international distribution.

Context within the franchise

The new series is set about a decade after World War Two. The story moves to post-war Birmingham in the early 1950s.

The announcement follows the feature Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. That film was written by Knight and directed by Tom Harper. It was released on March 20 and topped Netflix’s global movie chart for two weeks.

The movie reunited Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby with several original cast members. Newcomers in the feature included Barry Keoghan, Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Roth, and Jay Lycurgo.

Series legacy

Peaky Blinders first premiered on BBC Two in 2013 and reached Netflix in 2014. Season four won the BAFTA for Best Drama Series in 2018.

The show moved to BBC One for seasons five and six. The original series has since grown into a broader franchise.

• Tie-in books
• Clothing lines
• A video game
• Ballet and immersive theatre productions

Creator Steven Knight described the project as a new era for the series. He said the story explores both opportunity and danger in a rebuilding Birmingham. Knight added that more casting announcements will follow.