Cillian returning as Tommy Shelby for 'Peaky Blinders' movie, says Steven Knight

LONDON: Oscar winner Cillian Murphy will be reprising his fan-favourite role of crime boss Tom Shelby from "Peaky Blinders" in a standalone feature film, show creator Steven Knight has confirmed.

The series, about the titular Peaky Blinders crime gang in the aftermath of the First World War, had ended with its sixth season run in April 2022 but Knight has always maintained that he would like to continue the story "in another form".

At the premiere of his latest BBC drama "This Town", Knight told British news outlet Birmingham World that Murphy would "definitely" be returning as Shelby for the movie.

"He definitely is returning for it. We’re shooting it in September just down the road in Digbeth (England),” he added.

"Peaky Blinders" also features Paul Anderson as Arthur Shelby, Sophie Rundle as Ada Shelby, and Joe Cole as John Shelby, the gang's senior members. Late actor Helen McCrory starred in the show as Elizabeth "Polly" Gray for five seasons before she died of breast cancer in 2021.

The show, which started on BBC Two in 2013, moved to BBC One, and eventually became a worldwide phenomenon after it became available on Netflix.

Murphy's popularity also soared, owing to his portrayal of the charismatic Tommy Shelby in the series. He recently won an Oscar for his performance in Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer".