With the series beginning in Birmingham during the 1920s, the storyline features a street gang called the Peaky Blinders.
The name derives from the razor blades hidden in the peaks of the gang member’s caps, which they used to slash the foreheads of opponents. The idea was that blood would run into their enemies’ eyes, blinding them, and making them unable to fight back.
It’s a dark story, but one told very well. Based on a true story, Peaky Blinders has drawn millions of viewers across the globe, fascinated by the rags-to-riches story of the notorious gang led by Tommy Shelby.
The show became a global sensation, yet it ended seemingly prematurely after the seventh season was scrapped.
Peaky Blinders Was A World-Wide Hit
The British drama series made its mark on the public in many ways.
In the UK, Peaky Blinders-themed bars sprang up. Fans had the faces of cast members tattooed on their bodies, and hair salons and barbershops were inundated with requests for the "Peaky cut."
Fans held themed parties which saw guests dressed up like the characters, and a video game based on the series was released, along with a variety of merchandise.
There's even been the Peaky Blinders Ballet: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby, and a live-action theater experience titled Peaky Blinders: The Rise.
It wasn't only popular in the United Kingdom, though. When the series made its way onto Netflix, it garnered fans across the world.
Everyone loved the show. Creator Steven Knight told Esquire how rapper Snoop Dogg set up a meeting with him, to discuss some of the elements in the series. The two talked for three hours about the series, and how popular it was in the US.
Snoop is such a big fan of Peaky Blinders that he went on to do a cover of the show’s theme song, Red Right Hand in 2019.
Fans Were In For A Shock When Season 6 Ended
The long-awaited Season 6 of the hit series came to a dramatic end in April 2022. The final episode was a massive 81 minutes long, much to the delight of fans.
But then it all came tumbling down. Fans were devastated when they discovered there wouldn't be a seventh season, even though an extension was originally planned by the creator of the series.
Despite the delay, fans were overjoyed when Peaky Blinders returned after some major challenges and a break in filming. They'd waited for almost three years to pick up the history of the Shelby clan. 889 days, to be exact.
Already delayed by the pandemic, the series was dealt another blow through the death of Helen McCrory, who played the formidable Polly Gray, a surrogate mother to the Shelby boys.
It was a sad moment for the cast, and Cillian Murphy paid tribute to the actress after her passing.
As a result of the actresses’ passing, rewrites and reshoots were required, which set the release date back even further.
Her death is one of the reasons there won’t be another season.
Knight, speaking about the plans for the future, said: “We just felt, also with the loss of Helen McCrory, that it all seemed to be pointing towards doing what I'm calling ‘the end of the beginning.'
He then went on to reveal that he intends to make a Peaky Blinders film.
Filming Will Start Next Year On A Peaky Blinders Film
Not too much detail is available to fans yet. The title hasn't been decided, and currently, official plot information is being kept under wraps.
However, Knight has revealed that the film will be set during the Second World War. There's also a chance that the creator will ‘redeem' Tommy Shelby by the end of the story.
He has previously explained: "My intention has always been to redeem him so that at the end he's genuinely a good man doing good things."
While it’s not been confirmed yet, it seems the principal cast will all be participating in the film.
Fans are happy that Cillian Murphy will return to play Tommy Shelby.
With production on the film not set to begin until the beginning of 2023, fans will probably have to wait until at least 2024 for it to hit the big screen. Speaking to BBC News, Steven Knight has hinted that the movie won't be the last fans will see of the global hit. That might be in the form of spin-off series inspired by the characters from the original.
However long it takes, fans are delighted that they haven't seen the last of the Shelby clan, and eagerly await details about their appearance on the big screen.
