'Peaky Blinders' spinoff and movie could see Cillian Murphy reprise role as Thomas Shelby after creator Steven Knight teases plans
The 'Peaky Blinders' hysteria is here to stay for a long time as the show creator Steven Knight seems to have confirmed a potential spin-off and a movie in the pipeline. The series is currently in its fifth season and there are two more seasons already being planned. Knight also said that the final scene of the thriller drama is already in his mind. If that was not enough to arouse interest, there's a strong possibility that Cillian Murphy might be cast as Thomas Shelby in the movies too.
Shedding light on his future plans for the epic underworld drama, Knight revealed in an interview with PA Media Group, "I'm writing series six at the moment. That's almost done. Then I'm going to do series seven, then I'm looking at spin-offs, maybe a movie."
When Cillian was quizzed about the movie, he told NME, "You’ll have to speak to Steven. That’s his baby. It would have to be a six-hour movie. It would have to be a standalone thing."
If a movie is actually in the works, it might bear slight semblance with 'The Godfather' franchise and might mark the return of iconic antagonists — right from Alfie Solomons (Tom Hardy) to Darby Sabini (Noah Taylor) and Billy Kimber (Charlie Creed-Miles)! That calls for much excitement for the hardcore fans, who were disappointed after some characters were killed off, such as Grace Burgess (played by Annabelle Wallis) and John Shelby (Joe Cole).
Speaking to LADbible at the first Peaky Blinders Festival in Birmingham, he said: "I would (consider doing a film). The end scene is the end of this as a television series the way it is now, but it's certainly not ruling out spin-offs or a movie. You know there's a Peaky Blinders ballet that is being performed today and it's brilliant, it's mind-blowing. So I think there's something about Peaky where it's a world, lots of people have different interpretations of that world, so I'm all for keeping the spirit going."
However, the creator said he wants to steer clear of any prequel as it would just be a First World War film, like many others in the past. "The problem with a prequel is you’re limiting yourself as to where it can go. You can’t kill a character who can show up in the series," Knight spoke at the Peaky Blinders Legitimate festival in Digbeth, where former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher made an appearance.
Knight also said no to celebrity cameos when asked whether he would like to write a role for Gallagher who expressed interest in making an appearance on the show. "What I’m trying to not do is populate the scene with people who are known for other things, because I think it’s quite distracting.”
Moreover, the music for the movie will also arouse much interest as the series has set a high bar with its choice of tracks to build tension and perk up the thrill. Anna Calvi wrote the musical score for season five. Talking about her experience, she told NME, "Bizarrely, I feel like I can really relate to the characters. It was a really good fit. I’ve always loved the show – everything about the way that they dress, the music that they feature, how strong the characters are and how filmic it is. It’s just much better than most things you see on TV."
Considering the craze for the music, the potential movie could also be a musical thriller. While we wait for more details about the spin-off and movie, the final episode of the fifth season of 'Peaky Blinders' is set to premiere on BBC One on Sunday, September 22.