Jamie Bell to Take the Helm in New ‘Peaky Blinders’ Era
Jamie Bell (All of Us Strangers, Rocketman) and Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things, Industry) are set to lead the cast of the highly anticipated new Peaky Blinders series, the latest installment from Steven Knight’s acclaimed franchise for Netflix and the BBC. Joining them are Jessica Brown Findlay (Silo, The Flatshare), Lashana Lynch (The Day of The Jackal, No Time to Die), and Lucy Karczewski (Stereophonic) in this gripping period drama. Filming has already commenced in and around Digbeth Loc. Studios in Birmingham, with two six-episode seasons planned.
Bell will be taking on the pivotal role of Duke Shelby, the eldest son of the legendary Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy). The character was previously portrayed by Conrad Khan in the sixth and final season of the original series and by Barry Keoghan in the recent Netflix film, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.
A New Generation Takes Charge
A recasting was anticipated as the sequel series is set a decade after the events of The Immortal Man. While details about Heaton’s character remain under wraps, the announcement suggests he will be a key figure alongside Duke in leading the next generation of the Birmingham street gang. This marks a return to Netflix for Heaton, who captivated audiences as Jonathan Byers in Stranger Things throughout its five-season run.
“I am thrilled that we are announcing a new era of Peaky Blinders, moving the story to post-war Birmingham in the early 50s,” said series’ writer and creator Steven Knight. “We are incredibly fortunate to have Jamie Bell taking the role of Tommy Shelby’s oldest son, Duke, and to have Charlie Heaton also leading the cast. There are more exciting cast announcements to come, and Peaky is on the road again.”
The official logline for the new show reveals a post-World War Two Birmingham consumed by a fierce struggle for reconstruction. The city is depicted as a place of both immense opportunity and perilous danger, with Duke Shelby (Bell) at its heart – a character who has evolved into someone older, wiser, more ambitious, and undeniably more dangerous.
Expanding the Peaky Blinders Universe
Information regarding the roles of Brown Findlay, Lynch, and Karczewski is currently being kept confidential. The sequel series is being produced by Banijay UK’s Kudos and Garrison Drama for the BBC in the UK (airing on BBC iPlayer and BBC One) and for Netflix globally.
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, penned by Knight and directed by Tom Harper, features Murphy reprising his role as Tommy Shelby, alongside original cast members Sophie Rundle, Ned Dennehy, Packy Lee, Ian Peck, and Stephen Graham, as well as newcomers Keoghan, Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Roth, and Jay Lycurgo. The film has dominated Netflix, holding the #1 spot globally for two consecutive weeks.
The original Peaky Blinders, created and written by Knight and starring Murphy, premiered on BBC Two in 2013 and debuted on Netflix in 2014. It garnered critical acclaim, winning a BAFTA for Best Drama Series in 2018 and moving to BBC One for its fifth and sixth seasons. The series has expanded into a full-fledged franchise, encompassing tie-in books, clothing lines, a video game, a ballet, and an immersive theater production. You can learn more about the original series and its impact here.
