“Oppenheimer” Cillian Murphy is gearing up his next iconic role – a return to one of the characters that made him a star, Birmingham gang leader Tommy Shelby in a theatrical film version of “Peaky Blinders.”
The exciting news was confirmed by none other than the show’s creator, Steven Knight, who revealed the long-awaited movie is officially a go with Murphy set to reprise his career-defining performance.
At the premiere of his new series, The Town, Knight stated bluntly to Birmingham World that the Academy Award winner is definitely,
“Returning for it. We’re shooting it in September just down the road in Digbeth.”
Steven Knight also took a moment to heap praise on Murphy’s recent Oscar win, calling it “so deserved” and lauding the actor as “brilliant” and “such a great human being” who “leads the line” on set.
The creator’s comments align with Cillian Murphy’s own stated interest over the past year in continuing Tommy Shelby’s saga on the big screen – provided Knight could deliver a worthy script.
While speaking to the Irish Star back in February he said,
“If Steve Knight delivers a script that I know he can deliver, because he is such a phenomenal writer, I’ll be there. If we want to watch 50-year-old Tommy Shelby, I will be there. Let’s do it.”
With Knight now confirming a September production start, it seems the creator has indeed crafted a compelling vision to continue the Shelby family saga on the big screen after the series wrapped up its sixth and final season in April 2022 on the BBC.
Peaky Blinders developed a passionate global following after arriving on Netflix, with Murphy’s gritty, magnetic performance as the PTSD-afflicted gang boss at the center of its acclaim. Knight had been teasing a film even before the series ended its run, hinting it would introduce “the new generation” to take the story forward.
Now fans can start getting excited to see Cillian Murphy slip that flat cap back on and bring Tommy Shelby’s intensity to cinema screens around the world.
