Peaky Blinders Netflix Sequel Series Recasts Duke Shelby (Again)

When /Film spoke with "Peaky Blinders" creator Steven Knight about the Netflix movie "Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man," Knight told us that the Duke Shelby character would factor into the action of the upcoming Netflix sequel series. At the time, we didn't know whether "Saltburn" star Barry Keoghan would return to reprise the role (Keoghan replaced Conrad Khan to appear in "The Immortal Man"), but now we have some clarity about the future of that character. 

As it turns out, Keoghan will not be returning. Instead, Netflix has announced that Jamie Bell ("Rocketman") has been cast as an even older version of the character for the "Peaky Blinders" sequel series. What's more, the show will be set in 1950, a decade after the events of "The Immortal Man," and will feature "the next generation of the Shelby family."

Here's the official synopsis:

In this new era of 'Peaky Blinders,' a decade after World War Two, the race to rebuild Birmingham becomes a brutal contest of mythical dimensions. This is a city of unprecedented opportunity and jeopardy. At its blood-soaked heart is Duke Shelby (Jamie Bell): older, wiser, more ambitious, and most certainly more dangerous.

Netflix also announced additional cast members, including Charlie Heaton ("Stranger Things"), Jessica Brown Findlay ("Downton Abbey"), Lashana Lynch ("No Time to Die"), and Lucy Karczewski, who will be making her television debut. I happened to see Karczewski last year in a London production of a play called "Stereophonic," in which she played a Stevie Nicks-esque member of a Fleetwood Mac-style 1970s rock band, and she was excellent in that show.

"I am thrilled that we are announcing a new era of 'Peaky Blinders,' moving the story to post-war Birmingham in the early '50s," creator Steven Knight said in the press release. "We are incredibly fortunate to have Jamie Bell taking the role of Tommy Shelby's oldest son, Duke, and to have the incredible Charlie Heaton also leading the cast. There are more exciting cast announcements to come, and 'Peaky' is on the road again."

Barry Keoghan is an unpredictable performer who brings a live-wire energy to practically every role he plays. He's exciting to watch because you never know what choice he's going to make next, and since he doesn't like to rehearse, his co-stars are often surprised by what he does when the camera is rolling. That unpredictability perfectly suited a character like Duke, who was explosive and mysterious in a way that worked very well in the world of "Peaky Blinders."

Jamie Bell, who is only a few years older than Keoghan, does not have that same energy as an actor. I'm not saying he's a bad actor (he was terrific in Andrew Haigh's excellent "All of Us Strangers" recently), but this casting means that Duke will just be a very different character going forward. Perhaps that change in temperament will align with his trajectory as he jostles for control of post-war Birmingham and could better fit the approaching modernity that might give this version of the show a slightly different flavor than its predecessor. The 1950s were a very different decade than the 1920s-1940s, so perhaps a change like this will suit this new show just fine.

"Peaky Blinders" has been renewed for two new seasons (or "series," as they're called in the UK) of six episodes each. There's no word yet on when they'll debut, but stay tuned for more.