'Peaky Blinders' Movie, Spinoffs and Season 6: Release date, plot and all you need to know about Thomas Shelby's future
Fans of ‘Peaky Blinders’ were left disappointed earlier this week when show creator Steven Knight revealed that the series is going to end with this upcoming sixth season, unlike the original plan to continue the show till the seventh season. However, it will be incorrect to assume that we would not get to see any more of Thomas Shelby and his notorious family beyond the show’s sixth season.
Much to the delight of die-hard fans of the show, Knight has hinted at the development of a ‘Peaky Blinders’ movie. In addition, there are plans of more TV shows to be branched out of the flagship series.
Why was ‘Peaky Blinders’ Season 7 canceled?
Show director Steven Knight stated in an interview with Variety that the producers had originally planned a Season 7, but it got scrapped due to the pandemic. Due to the Covid-19 situation, the crew lost a year of production and hence the show makers decided to curtail it to the sixth season and a follow-up movie. “So we put our heads together and thought that it would be a good idea to do a movie instead of doing series seven,” said Knight.
Movie and spinoffs
The ‘Peaky Blinders’ movie is still in an early stage of development. However, the show creators have planned the story idea with a proper "beginning, middle and end". Knight believes that the movie will be a fitting conclusion to the story told through the six seasons of the series. “....there will be things I don’t really call spinoffs, but there will be other TV shows that I hope will come out of [it], that will continue to tell the story of this part of society and this family,” he added.
Release date
The release date of the movie is yet to be announced.
Cast
The cast of the ‘Peaky Blinders’ movie has not been confirmed yet, but fans are hoping to see their favorite lead characters from the series in the big-screen adaptation as well. Meanwhile, let us take a look at the confirmed cast of the upcoming sixth season whose production has resumed.
Cillian Murphy
Cillian Murphy will reprise his lead role as the gangster-turned-parliamentarian Thomas Shelby who we saw in a state of despair in the Season 5 finale. After a tumultuous fifth season, it remains to be seen whether Tommy Shelby will be able to survive against a growing list of nemeses.
Irish actor Murphy became a global heartthrob after starring as Thomas Shelby for five seasons of 'Peaky Blinders'. But he had already impressed the audience worldwide with his stunning acting skills, starring in multiple blockbuster Nolan hits like 'Batman Begins', 'Inception', 'Dunkirk', 'The Dark Knight', and 'The Dark Knight Rises'. He also earned accolades for his roles in Danny Boyle's '28 Days Later' which gave him his break, 'Cold Mountain', and 'Girl with a Pearl Earring'.
In 2020, Murphy won the National Television Award for Outstanding Drama Performance for his role in 'Peaky Blinders'.
Helen McCrory
The badass Shelby family matriarch Polly Gray is essayed by veteran actor Helen McCrory. In the last season, she resigned from the family business to give time to her son Michael. She will return in season six with new cards to play.
McCrory began her acting career as a stage actress and soon soared to popularity with her performance in the National Theatre's "Blood Wedding" and for playing "Rose Trelawney" in "Trelawney of the Wells". She earned global recognition playing Narcissa Malfoy in the Harry Potter franchise. The OBE actress has also starred in movies like 'Lucky Jim', 'Dead Gorgeous', 'The Last King', and 'Anna Karenina'.
Paul Anderson
Anderson stunningly portrays the eccentric, violent, and vulnerable Arthur Shelby, who will return in season six to have his brother’s back. But this time, he does not have his wife Linda by his side.
The talented Celtic actor started out his career acting in plays written by friend Gregory Burke. He got his first major break with the film 'The Firm'. He has also appeared in hit movies like 'Legend' and 'The Revenant'.
Sam Claflin
Playing the fascist leader and Tommy Shelby’s arch-rival Sir Oswald Mosley, Claflin will be seen again challenging Shelby at every step.
You must have remembered Claflin's role as Finnick Odair in 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire', 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1', and 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2'. He also acted in 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' and 'Snow White and The Huntsman'.
Sophie Rundle
The Shelby sister Ada Thorne, played by Sophie Rundle, finds herself devastated once again, as the father of her second child, Colonel Ben Younger is murdered. Most of Sophie Rundle's roles have been in period dramas like 'Jamestown', 'The Bletchley Circle', and 'Call the Midwife'.
Natasha O’Keeffe
Lizzy Shelby, Tommy’s second wife was found to be struggling in an unhappy marriage with Tommy, who is still in love with his dead wife Grace (Annabelle Wallis).
Aside from Peaky Blinders, O'Keeffe is known for her roles in 'Filth' and 'Misfits'. You might also remember her as the 'The Abominable Bride' from BBC's Sherlock's Christmas Special episode of the same name.
Finn Cole
The actors who play Michael Gray might be seen back with new schemes and plots with the support of Polly Gray, as he plans to venture into independent business.
Tom Hardy
The Oscar-nominated actor who plays Jewish gangster Alfie Solomons is expected to make a return after his surprise reappearance last season.
Tom Hardy needs no introduction. The actor has starred in lead roles in Nolan movies like Inception and 'The Dark Knight Rises'. He has also mesmerized the audience with his acting in 'The Revenant', 'Mad Max Fury Road', 'Star Trek: Nemesis', 'Legend', 'This Means War', 'Black Hawk Down' and many more.
Anya-Taylor Joy
Anya Taylor-Joy plays Michael Gray's rich, American wife Gina Gray, known for her shrewd and scheming nature. Taylor-Joy earned worldwide acclaim for her brilliant performance in Netflix's 'The Queen's Gambit'.
Plot: Season Six
“....we find the family in extreme jeopardy and the stakes have never been higher,” said Knight, while talking about the storyline in Season 6. The Season 5 finale ended on a dramatic note after the Shelby family head Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy) tried to shoot himself, after being betrayed on his plot to assassinate fascist rival Oswald Mosley (Sam Claflin).
The first scene of Season 6 starts exactly at the same place, showing Tommy Shelby in the field with his gun. The story proceeds from there, as Tommy attempts to find the traitor in his plan and lead them to their fate.
Director Anthony Byrne also stated that there will be the introduction of a new female character with a dark side, who will give Tommy “a run for his money”. “She challenges him in a different way basically. She's certainly not a protagonist and I don't know if she’s an antagonist. It's similar to Mosley…she has a similar ideology,” confirmed Byrne in an interview.