Actors Cillian Murphy and Barry Keoghan, along with creator Steven Knight, talk about the new film of the famous Peaky Blinders saga – the final chapter of the Shelby family on the big screen.
In June 2023, Keoghan sent Murphy a message to wish him a Happy Father's Day. The two had starred together six years earlier in the film Dunkirk. A few minutes later, Murphy replied: "Thank you. Would you like to play my son in the movie Peaky Blinders?"
Murphy remembers it a little differently – he says he was the one who initiated the contact – but he humorously admits that Keoghan's version is the better story. In any case, he says the Irish actor was the first choice for the role of Duke, Tommy Shelby's troubled son.
“Barry is like a spark – you put the camera on him and he’s instantly magnetic,” says Murphy. “He has a danger and unpredictability that the character needed, but also a rare sensitivity on screen.”
From the end of the series to the movie
The series' sixth season ended in 2022, with Tommy Shelby riding off alone on a white horse into an uncertain future. The new film picks up the story six years later, in 1940, as Nazi bombings fall on Birmingham.
Tommy lives isolated in a large country mansion, estranged from his family and struggling to write his memoirs. Meanwhile, the gang is led by Duke, a ruthless smuggling figure who becomes involved in a scheme with a British Nazi agent – played by Tim Roth – to spread counterfeit money and influence the war in Germany’s favor.
Keoghan says he felt the pressure of fan expectations, as he was a huge fan of the series himself. He even named his dog "Duke" before taking on the role.
A rough start to filming
The first scene between Murphy and Keoghan was a fight in a pig sty. When asked if what he was covering was real or not, Murphy humorously replied: "Yes, it was real. Pigs make a lot of mess... and we were in there."
For Keoghan, it was his first day of filming. He even hurt his knuckles hitting the ground during the scene. “I wanted to make it as real as possible,” he recalls. “When I saw Cillian walking towards me like Tommy Shelby, I thought, ‘Now I’m in trouble.’”
How it became a global phenomenon
Peaky Blinders began as a relatively small BBC production, with around two million viewers. It later became an international phenomenon, especially after it became available globally on Netflix in 2014.
Murphy believes that the success came largely through audience recommendations. "The BBC didn't promote it much at first. The fans made the series what it is today," he says.
The series became known not only for the story of the Birmingham gang, but also for its distinctive style – especially the hats and haircuts that became fashionable around the world.
In 2019, a special festival was even organized for the series, with live music, fashion shows, and simulated bare-knuckle fights, attended by around 15 fans.
From Snoop Dogg to Brad Pitt
The series' popularity reached out to major pop culture figures. According to Knight, one moment that made him realize the magnitude of his success was when Snoop Dogg's agent called him.
“He said, 'Snoop is in London and he wants to meet two people – and you're one of them.'” They spent several hours discussing the similarities between the gang world in the series and the rapper's experience with the Crips gang in California.
Brad Pitt had also expressed a desire to star in the series, but this did not happen.
One last chapter
After the series ended, the careers of many of the cast members took off. Murphy won an Oscar for his role in Oppenheimer, while Knight is working on the script for the new James Bond film.
However, the idea for the new Peaky Blinders film was born from the feeling that the Shelbys' story had not been fully closed.
“The show was a big part of my life,” Murphy says. “If it was going to be made into a movie, it had to have a strong reason for existing.”
According to Knight, the saga was always intended to end on the big screen. However, its universe doesn't end there: a spin-off series set in the 1950s is already in production.
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is in theaters and will be released on Netflix on March 20, marking the final chapter in the story of Tommy Shelby and his gang. /GazetaExpress/
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