The BBC has confirmed that the hit crime drama Peaky Blinders is returning to television, continuing the story of the notorious Shelby family.
Steven Knight’s period drama about gangsters in 1920s Birmingham, starring Cillian Murphy as gang leader Tommy Shelby, has been commissioned for two more surprise seasons, consisting of six episodes each.
The original series was believed to have concluded with the finale of season six in 2022, which appeared to draw Tommy Shelby’s story to an end. However, the two new seasons come with a twist as they will follow a new generation of the Shelbys in the aftermath of the Second World War.
“I’m thrilled to be announcing this new chapter in the Peaky Blinders story,” said Knight in a BBC press release.
“Once again, it will be rooted in Birmingham and will tell the story of a city rising from the ashes of the Birmingham blitz. The new generation of Shelbys have taken the wheel and it will be a hell of a ride.”
Cast members are yet to be announced, and it is currently unknown whether any of the show’s previous stars, such as Murphy, will be returning. The Oppenheimer actor, though, has been confirmed as an executive producer for the new seasons.
The forthcoming series will be produced by Kudos, whose other titles include SAS Rogue Heroes and the recent Netflix show House of Guinness, together with Garrison Drama, who previously worked on all of the Peaky Blinders TV series as well as the forthcoming film. The seasons will be shot at Digbeth Loc Studios in Birmingham and will be set in the city.
The six-part series will air on BBC One in the UK and will be released on Netflix globally. No release date has been confirmed at the time of writing.
Speaking of the show’s return to Birmingham, Richard Parker, mayor of the West Midlands, said he was proud that Peaky Blinders was returning to the city having already “boosted our tourism and global reach”.
“It’s this sort of backing from some of the biggest names in entertainment that will turn the West Midlands into the creative capital of the UK,” Mr Parker said.
The series will follow Netflix’s spin-off film The Immortal Man, which wrapped production in December last year following its successful acquisition by the streaming service in territories outside the UK.
Speaking to The Independent in March, Knight revealed that he was delighted by the footage he had seen so far. “What fans can expect is something completely phenomenal,” he said. “I know, I would say that – but we’ve got the best actors and the best cast you could possibly get in one place.”
Cast members Barry Keoghan, Tim Roth and Rebecca Ferguson “all excel” in their roles, and according to Knight, Murphy, who won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, “is at his best”. He described his performance as “remarkable”.
A release date forThe Immortal Man is yet to be announced by Netflix.
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