Will there be a Peaky Blinders Season 7? Plus what we know of a follow-up film

Season 6 of the hit BBC drama Peaky Blinders came to a dramatic end on Sunday 3 April. And many are now wondering, will there be a Peaky Blinders season 7?

Fans waited over two years for Peaky Blinders season 6, with season 5 airing back in August 2019. But the show was well worth the wait, with an action-packed finale full of twists and turns. Arguably the biggest plot twist was the main character, Tommy Shelby (played by Cillian Murphy) finding out he isn't in fact terminally ill. This leaves the door wide open for future series of the drama.

So with the potential for more action from the Shelby clan, the question many viewers are asking now is; will there be a Peaky Blinders season 7? Read on to find out everything you need to know about the future of the show.

Will there be another season of Peaky Blinders?

While there originally were plans for another season, there will not be a Peaky Blinders season 7. Writer and creator Steven Knight said in 2018 that he had planned a seventh season. But in 2021, he explained how this had changed due mainly to the pandemic - but also the death of Helen McCrory, who played Polly Gray in the series.

He said: “The original intention was to do seven series, but COVID has stolen a year from us. And we felt what would be a great idea is to, almost in place of that seventh series, is to go onto the big screen."

Director Anthony Byrne added: “The reason is boringly practical which is that we lost a year due to the pandemic. The way these things are scheduled – it’s like turning an oil tanker around.”

But while fans might be upset to hear there will be no Peaky Blinders season 7, this isn’t the last we’re going to see of the Shelby clan.

Will there be a Peaky Blinders film?

Instead of a seventh season, Steven Knight intends to make a Peaky Blinders film. He said: “We just felt, also with the loss of Helen [McCrory], that it all seemed to be pointing towards doing what I'm calling ‘the end of the beginning.' Let’s end the beginning, then let's do the film. And then let's see where we go in terms of spin-offs."

He also explained: "I am going to write the feature which will be set in and shot in Birmingham. And that will probably be the sort of the end of the road for Peaky Blinders as we know it."

The show’s creator recently revealed how the late Helen will remain a ‘fundamental’ part of the Peaky Blinders film. He told RadioTimes.com: “Helen was so brilliant. When anything happened in the rest of the series [6], I wanted people to think, 'What would Polly say?' It’s like a family when someone passes away, their opinion remains in the house. Polly’s opinion is going to last.”

And when asked whether that would still be the case in the film, he replied: "Absolutely. She’s such a fundamental part of what Peaky is; her presence rules."

Production on the film is not set to begin until the beginning of 2023, so fans will likely have to wait until at least 2024 for it to hit the big screen.

What will the Peaky Blinders film be about?

Official plot information is currently being kept under wraps. However, Steven Knight has revealed that the Peaky Blinders film will be set during the Second World War. He told Metro.co.uk in February: “I know exactly what’s going to happen. I know what the story is and I’m writing at the moment.”

He added: “It’s a very specific story, that’s based on a true story from the Second World War and will be told in the Peaky way.”

The Peaky Blinders creator previously said that the show would end with the first air-raid siren in Birmingham in 1939, which didn't happen in the TV show. So it’s thought that might happen in the movie instead.

We also know that Steven hopes to ‘redeem’ Cillian Murphy's character, Tommy Shelby, by the end of the story. He has previously explained: "My intention has always been to redeem him so that at the end he's genuinely a good man doing good things.

"And finding how that journey happened and why it happened. And dealing with all the post-traumatic stress of the First World War, and never easing up on that."

Who will star in the Peaky Blinders film?

While nothing has been confirmed, it’s hoped that Cillian Murphy will return for the film, seeing as there wouldn’t be a Peaky Blinders film without Tommy Shelby. Luckily, show creator Steven Knight has explained that Cillian is keen for the film. He said: "We've talked to Cillian Murphy and he's all for it, and the rest of the principal cast are in for it.”

Paul Anderson is also believed to be reprising his role as Arthur Shelby. And Steven has hinted that Stephen Graham could reprise his role as Hayden Stagg in the film.

Speaking to Metro, he said of Stephen’s performance: “It’s been brilliant. And I want to keep him as part of it, going forward.”

Other main actors including Sam Claflin, (Sir Oswald Mosley) Natasha O’Keeffe, (Elizabeth “Lizzie” Shelby) and Tom Hardy, (Alfred “Alfie” Solomons) are also expected to return.

Finn Shelby actor Harry Kirton is thought to be keen to reprise his role for the film, too. He has said: “It all sounds very epic. It would be nice to step into a new role. Finn stepping into a new role, is what I mean.”

And Steven is also keen to bring in new talent for the film. He said: "There's so many people, so many great actors, that we are already in conversation with for the film. And for whatever follows.

"But I think what we want to do is keep surprising people, and keep breaking new talent. Because it's all out there, and there is a sort of consistency. What we're doing is finding really good actors from a working-class sort of background, and telling that story."

How many Peaky Blinders episodes in season 6?

Peaky Blinders season 6 - the final season of the gangster drama - consisted of six episodes altogether. The first episode of the season aired on BBC One on 27 February 2022, with the much anticipated finale airing on 3 April 2022. 

The final episode was a whopping 81 minutes long, much to the delight of Peaky fans. Director Anthony Byrne said: "It's such a Peaky thing to do for the last hurrah. It's the 10:22 news for one night only.”

You can watch season 6 of Peaky Blinders, as well as the previous five series, on BBC iPlayer.

Peaky Blinders season 6 ending explained:

Many believed that Tommy Shelby would die in the final episode of season 6 after he was told he had tuberculoma. However, it turns out Tommy wasn’t terminally ill at all and he survived the final episode. Tommy spent the vast majority of the final episode preparing to end his life. He even blew up his house to make way for new homes for the working class of Birmingham.

Tommy said goodbye to his family and handed over everything to Ada. But then, while standing in a traditional gypsy funeral trailer preparing to shoot himself, the ghost of his dead daughter, Ruby, appeared. She told him that he ‘must live’ and that he isn't actually ill.

It’s then that Tommy realises that his doctor has deceived him and that he was never actually suffering from tuberculoma at all. The final shot of the episode saw Tommy riding away from his burning funeral trailer, which was set on fire by Curly, who believed Tommy to be dead.

Elsewhere in the final episode, Michael (played by Finn Cole) is finally released from prison and is seeking out revenge on Tommy. However, as he's about to blow up the Shelby gang leader, Johnny Dogs (played by Packy Lee) comes to the rescue and Tommy ends up shooting Michael in the face.

Viewers also saw Arthur (played by Paul Anderson) avenge the death of Polly by shooting her killer, IRA boss Captain Swing, and Duke Shelby killed Billy Grade.

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