Cillian Murphy is set to return for Peaky Blinders movie

Now that he’s done being the father of the atomic bomb, Cillian Murphy is going back to Birmingham for the Peaky Blinders movie. 

With Christopher Nolan and the rest of the “Oppenhomies” having concluded their near-clean sweep of all the awards, all of them are now setting their sights on their next projects. Robert Downey Jr. continues to busy himself with his philanthropic work and setting up environmentally-friendly businesses. Christopher Nolan may do a horror movie soon. But as for Cillian Murphy, he may actually be revisiting a beloved character of his: Tommy Shelby. Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight has confirmed that the long-rumoured film is a go and that Murphy is set to return.

[Hero image: Netflix]

Tommy Shelby returns: Cillian Murphy will reprise his role for the Peaky Blinders movie

In an interview with Birmingham World at the premiere of his new show This Town, Knight doesn’t just confirm Murphy’s return but when they will start shooting. “[Murphy] definitely is returning for it,” he said. “We’re shooting it in September just down the road in Digbeth.”

The last series of the show, which was released in 2022, saw Tommy Shelby kill his own nephew, fulfilling Aunt Polly’s (played by the late Helen McCrory) prophecy. Diagnosed with a brain tumour, Tommy set off to die—except he discovers the tumour was a ruse by his political ally. The show ends with him riding off with no strings attached, a totally new man. The question now is what is Tommy going to be up to in this upcoming film?

Knight has actually hinted at what his plans are for the film. Speaking with Esquire, Knight said, “The film, I know exactly what it’s about. And I know what two stories it’s going to tell. How the story will unfold, I don’t know. What will happen after that, I want that to depend on the film. For all we know somebody is going to pop out—I think I know who it’s going to be.” Like the show, the film will reportedly be set a few years after the last series, which means Tommy and the Peaky Blinders will find themselves in the midst of the Second World War.

Murphy, meanwhile, has said before that he’s open to revisiting Tommy Shelby. He told Rolling Stone that he’s willing to come back but that “it has to be right”. He also to Margot Robbie during their Variety’s Actors on Actors sit-down: “I mean, I’m open to the idea. I’ve always thought that if there’s more story to tell.”

With filming commencing in September, expect the film to come out sometime late next year or early 2026.