Peaky Blinders is back, and it has a new generation of Shelbys at its center.
Jamie Bell and Charlie Heaton have been cast as the leads in the new Netflix and BBC series, creator Steven Knight has announced, with filming already underway in Birmingham.
Bell will take on the role of Duke Shelby, the eldest son of Tommy Shelby, the character made iconic by Cillian Murphy during six seasons of the original series and the recent Netflix film. Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.
Duke was previously played by Conrad Khan in the final season of the original series and by Barry Keoghan in The immortal man.
A revamp was widely expected given that the new series is set a decade after the events of the film, moving the story to post-war Birmingham in the early 1950s.
Heaton, best known internationally for playing Jonathan Byers during all five seasons of Stranger Thingsjoins Bell in a starring role, although details of her character have yet to be revealed.
The announcement of the series suggests that he could lead the new generation of the Shelby gang alongside Duke.
Jessica Brown Findlay, Lashana Lynch and Lucy Karczewski, who is making her television debut with the role, have also been cast, although their characters remain under wraps for now.
Knight was clearly energized by this announcement. “I am delighted that we are heralding a new era of Peaky Blindersmoving the story to post-war Birmingham in the early 1950s,” he said.
“We are incredibly lucky to have Jamie Bell as Tommy Shelby’s eldest son, Duke, and to have Charlie Heaton leading the cast. There are more exciting casting announcements to come, and Peaky is on the road again.”
The official logline sets the stage for what promises to be a darker, more ambitious chapter.
Duke Shelby is described as “older, wiser, more ambitious and certainly more dangerous” as he finds himself at the heart of a brutal struggle to rebuild Birmingham in the aftermath of war.
The announcement comes as The immortal man continues to dominate Netflix, holding the top spot worldwide for two consecutive weeks since its release on March 20.
