A first look at the hugely anticipated Peaky Blinders film shows Cillian Murphy’s Tommy Shelby return while also briefly introducing Barry Keoghan’s character.
In the 70-second clip of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man released by Netflix on Christmas Eve, Tommy is seen questioning his identity as the “famous gypsy gangster”.
“Whatever happened to Tommy Shelby?” a voiceover asks.
“I’m not that man anymore,” Tommy says.
The footage shows him pushed out of a self-imposed exile as the Second World War takes hold.
“Tommy,” a woman’s voice says. “You’ve gotta come back.”
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While the clip gives little away in terms of plot, it does show Keoghan in character, wearing a white vest top with tattoos across his arms.
Set in 1940, The Immortal Man follows Tommy as he faces his demons and must decide whether to confront his legacy or burn it to the ground, all while the fate of his family and the country are at stake.
Fans are already reacting excitedly to the first glimpse, with some hailing it as the “best early Christmas present”.
Returning cast members include Sohie Rundle as Ada Shelby, Stephen Graham as union convener Hayden Stagg, and Packy Lee as Tommy’s friend Johnny Doggs.
Keoghan, known for his roles in Saltburn and The Banshees of Inisherin, joins the cast along with Dune actor Rebecca Ferguson and Pulp Fiction star Tim Roth.
It was directed by Tom Harper – who co-directed the first series of Peaky Blinders along with the BBC’s mini-series War & Peace – and written by creator Steven Knight.
The film is scheduled for release in select cinemas on Friday 6 March ahead of its Netflix release on Friday 20 March.
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A spin-off series focusing on “a new generation of Shelbys” is also in the works and will be set in 1953, years after the events of the feature film.
Murphy, 49, will return to executive produce the show. It has not been disclosed whether he will reprise his role as Tommy.
The Birmingham-set gangster drama launched on BBC Two in 2013, becoming a global phenomenon when it was picked up by Netflix in 2014 and starting a major trend for flat caps.
It moved to BBC One for its fourth season in 2019, following a Bafta win for Best Drama Series. The sixth and final season with Tommy Shelby as the lead protagonist was broadcast in 2022.
