The One Part Of Peaky Blinders Cillian Murphy Can't Stand
Is a "Peaky Blinders" movie coming? Probably. Is Cillian Murphy the best source for "Peaky Blinders" movie updates? Maybe not. In an interview with Radio Times ahead of the release of "Oppenheimer," Murphy hinted that he is not a huge fan of being treated like a Google search page when it comes to the future of the franchise. "That's probably the worst thing about 'Peaky Blinders' — getting asked about the movie all the time!" the actor told the outlet with a laugh.
This shouldn't be surprising: It's Steven Knight, not Murphy, who made "Peaky Blinders" in the first place and who plans to cap its six seasons off with a movie. The series creator revealed plans for a feature film ending to the series — which would also serve as a beginning for a spin-off — before the sixth season had even aired, meaning fans who would have otherwise taken its conclusion as a final chapter are instead chomping at the bit for what comes next.
In 2021, Knight told Variety the film was "in development," adding, "It's a fully formed idea and it has a beginning, middle and end." In July 2022, Knight updated fans, saying the movie should shoot in the next 18 months, but that was before Hollywood came to a screeching halt as writers and actors demanded fair pay and treatment via the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. In short, like every other production, it's probably a bit up in the air right now.
'It has to be right'
Murphy presumably spoke to Radio Times before the SAG-AFTRA strike began in July (the actor famously left the "Oppenheimer" premiere with his castmates as soon as the strike was announced), and judging by his remarks, the story or script of the film may not quite be complete just yet. "I would love to do a movie if there's more story to tell," he told Radio Times, adding, "I'll wait and see but I have no update for you on that."
Murphy has made similar statements before, telling Rolling Stone in May, "If there's more story there, I'd love to do it. But it has to be right." While the actor doesn't clarify why being asked about the movie is the "worst thing" about the show, I could see why Murphy might not love being asked for updates. Despite the fact that Rolling Stone noted that he's working with Knight on the feature, comments he made complimenting the series' run were taken out of context and used headlines casting doubt on the future of the movie. "Steve Knight wrote 36 hours of television, and we left on such a high," he told Rolling Stone. "I'm really proud of that last series. So, it would have to feel legitimate and justified to do more."
Season 6 ended on a high note
To me, that simply sounds like an acknowledgment that the film is still a work in progress, but outlets ran with the sound bite to make it seem like the movie was in peril. Again, this is guesswork given that Murphy was tight-lipped about why he likes to stay tight-lipped about the movie, but having your words misconstrued is never fun.
Plus, he's totally right: season 6 of "Peaky Blinders" ends well, with crime boss Tommy Shelby choosing peace for once, deciding not to seek vengeance on the doctor who misdiagnosed him with a brain tumor. His storyline seems to be all but complete, as he fulfilled Polly's (the late Helen McCrory) last prediction by killing his cousin Michael (Finn Cole), leaving him alone to quite literally watch his old life burn. The movie will have to top all of that and come up with a convincing reason to reopen this story, which means it'll take time to get it right.
A fight for fair pay and a Star Wars movie
Even before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes began, Knight said the "Peaky Blinders" film wouldn't be ready until 2024, revealing in 2022 that he was still working on the script. As he initially noted to Variety, the choice to do a film instead of a seventh season came in part due to the pandemic's impact on production. "COVID came along, and we lost a year of production," he told the outlet, "So we put our heads together and thought that it would be a good idea to do a movie instead of doing series seven."
With the script seemingly still in the works and the industry shut down for now, that 2024 release date for the "Peaky Blinders" film is looking more and more ambitious. Plus, there's another factor that could impact the filmmaking process: In March, Knight was hired to write a "Star Wars" film, replacing previous writers Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson, a job that will no doubt take up some time once the strikes are resolved. So yes, the "Peaky Blinders" movie is probably happening, but no, it's not simple enough to summarize its whole deal in a sound bite. Fans waiting for the film will just have to bide their time — like Alfie Solomon waiting for the perfect moment to return from the dead.
"Peaky Blinders" (the show) is on Netflix. The movie does not yet have a set release date.