The mobsters of 'Peaky Blinders' return to the screen with a movie

BarcelonaFour years after its finale, Peaky Blinders, the fiction about a group of Birmingham gangsters, returns to the screens. Now, however, it does so not in series format but as a feature film. Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man premieres on Friday on Netflix with much of the original cast, led by Cillian Murphy, an Oscar winner for Oppenheimer. The Irish actor once again takes on the role of Thomas Shelby, the charismatic mobster whom viewers accompanied as he managed illegal betting, arms trafficking, and horse racing, and fought against other mafias. The series ended with Shelby imposing exile on himself, and this is precisely the starting point of the film written by Steven Knight, creator of the original fiction.

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man begins in 1940s Birmingham, in the midst of World War II. After a long time living away, the protagonist returns to his hometown to reunite with old acquaintances, settle pending matters, and fight for a family legacy that will have to adapt to the new wartime and evolving needs of the country. In Spain, the film is released directly on the platform, but in other territories such as the United Kingdom, it was first released in cinemas.

One of the notable additions to the Peaky Blinders universe is Barry Keoghan, an actor known for films such as Saltburn and The Banshees of Inisherin. He is responsible for bringing Duke Shelby to life, the protagonist's legitimate son and one of the main characters in the film. As the trailer suggests, Duke, who keeps the Shelby legacy alive, leads the Peaky Blinders as if "it were still 1919." Besides Keoghan, the appearance of Tim Roth, known for his numerous collaborations with Quentin Tarantino, has also generated much anticipation. In the film, Roth plays the main antagonist, Beckett, a fascist sympathizer who becomes a central figure in a plot to end the British economy and ensure the victory of the Nazi army. The actor explained that he decided not to watch any episodes of the series because he felt his character had no real connection to the story told in the television fiction. For Cillian Murphy, this is not a problem, as he assures that the film is accessible even to people who are not fans of the series. "Someone who has never seen the series can approach it as a standalone film. I think that's what's good about it," Murphy said in an interview with The Independent.

The story of the Shelby family will not end with the film. Netflix and the BBC signed a sequel late last year to extend the saga in series format with two seasons of six episodes each. Steven Knight will keep the band's narrative alive through the next generation, set in post-war Birmingham, who will seek to rise from the ashes. Lindsay Salt, director of BBC drama, explains: "This groundbreaking series had a huge impact when it first arrived on our screens 12 years ago, and it is one of the BBC's most beloved dramas. Steven has worked his magic again and I can't wait for his scripts to come to life when filming begins in Birmingham." The main idea is that this new series, which does not yet have a release date, will continue the story after the film.