The critically renowned and culturally beloved British gangster series Peaky Blinders wi;l be wrapped up by a full movie after season 6. The BBC series, which airs on Netflix in the US, was recently announced to be ending after its upcoming sixth season. Creator Steven Knight has previously said that his plan included seven seasons, but now it sounds like that last entry could take another form.
Peaky Blinders has been a major critical and popular success since it first began in 2013, and its impact has only grown with each successive, lauded season. The show follows Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy) and the rest of the Shelby family, who lead a Birmingham-based gang called the Peaky Blinders in the wake of World War I. The series has many similarities with the power grabs and fragile alliances of other crime shows while also centering heavier emotional narratives about PTSD, classism, gender roles, and addiction. Knight’s previous plan for the show was to take it to the start of World War II – a plan he said would take seven seasons.
In a recent interview with Deadline, Knight reveals the story will conclude with a feature film after the season 6 series finale. It’s unclear precisely what form that film will take and when fans can expect to see it, but the promise of a big-budget conclusion to the Peaky Blinders story is undoubtedly exciting. Knight told Deadline:
“Covid changed our plans, but I can say that my plan from the beginning was to end Peaky with a movie. That is what is going to happen.”
Unfortunately, similar covid-induced production changes have impacted numerous shows throughout the pandemic. The Supernatural finale was initially intended to feature a much larger battle with more characters from throughout the series. Still, those plans had to be scaled down due to filming restrictions and safety concerns. Those same restrictions and delays have now made their way to Peaky Blinders, which just began delayed filming for its sixth season and final season.
Still, Knight’s new plan might end up being the perfect decision for fans. Peaky Blinders is an epic, as much as any show can be described as one. The show’s massive, rotating cast of star actors, stellar production values, and endless drama have catapulted it to the peak of modern television, and it only seems right to send that story off with the biggest bang possible. Until then, fans still have one more season of Peaky Blinders to enjoy.
