Cillian Murphy has revealed the condition that persuaded him to reprise his role as Tommy Shelby in the upcoming Peaky Blinders film, 'The Immortal Man'. The Oscar-winning actor, who first played the character in the BBC series in 2013, admitted he was initially hesitant because he felt the sixth season ended perfectly.
Speaking to Deadline, Murphy explained that the film needed to 'justify its existence' after the ambiguous finale, where Tommy rode off into the countryside. 'I really felt that the film needed to justify its existence because I love the ambiguity of the ending of Season 6,' he said. 'I felt that was a satisfying ending, actually, for the TV show.'
Murphy added that the film also had to improve on the series, which he described as 'always so cinematic'. He noted that discussions about the movie began around 2019-2020, with multiple script revisions before he agreed to return.
Creator Steven Knight believes the bigger budget for the film is a key advantage, allowing for more spectacular scenes. 'You can see the car blown up, you don’t have somebody explain that a car has just been blown up,' he said. 'The money makes a difference.'
The Peaky Blinders movie will be released in cinemas on 6 March before streaming on Netflix from 20 March. Alongside Murphy, returning cast members include Stephen Graham, Sophie Rundle and Ned Dennehy, with new additions Tim Roth, Barry Keoghan and Jay Lycurgo.
