Will There Be A Peaky Blinders Season 7?

It’s the revival we didn’t see coming: three years after the Peaky Blinders TV series wrapped up for good, it seems that a new season is on the way after all. The news, which comes just as fans prepare for an upcoming sequel film, is nothing short of a (happy) surprise. But what can we expect from Peaky Blinders season 7? Here’s everything we know so far.

Peaky Blinders Season 7: Plot, Cast, Release Date

‘I’m not allowed to announce it, but I’m just saying that the world of Peaky will continue,’ series creator Steven Knight told BBC Breakfast back in February. Knight’s vague teasing gave nothing away – and with The Immortal Man film in the works, most fans predicted that the Peaky Blinders story would live on via the big screen alone. Until now.

Rumours have been swirling this week after an unnamed source told The Sun that another season of the show was in the works. ‘The sixth series of Peaky Blinders was supposed to be the last and the movie was meant to be the final farewell for the story,’ they said. ‘But show boss Steven Knight couldn’t resist coming back to the story – his most famous creation – and he’s been dropping hints he wanted to return to do more.’

They went on to say that season 7 of Peaky Blinders has indeed been green-lit by the BBC – despite the film being a Netflix production – with filming reportedly set to take place as early as this summer. ‘The fact that it’s been officially green-lit by the Beeb and wheels are in motion on pre- production will be a huge thrill to fans of the show, which was a huge hit for the BBC,’ they added.

‘The film is coming out and that won’t be the end,’ Knight also told Deadline. ‘It won’t be the end. Let me put it that way.’

(L to R) Packy Lee as Johnny Dogs, Natasha O’Keeffe as Lizzie Shelby, Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby and Paul Anderson as Arthur Shelby (C) Caryn Mandabach Productions Ltd. | Photographer: Robert Viglasky

Why Was Season 7 Of Peaky Blinders Originally Scrapped?

A seventh season of Peaky Blinders was originally planned by Knight, but the series creator explained that it was cancelled during production of season 6 – largely as a result of delays to filming from the Coronavirus pandemic.

‘The original intention was to do seven series, but COVID has stolen a year from us,’ he told BBC News in 2021, saying that the cancellation morphed into an opportunity for a feature film. ‘We felt what would be a great idea is to, almost in place of that seventh series, is to go onto the big screen.’

He also mentioned that the death of actress Helen McCrory, who played Polly Gray in the series, encouraged the team to speed along plans for a feature film. ‘We just felt, 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.’

With Knight’s words in mind, we also can’t help but wonder: will this be season 7 of the original series, or one of these so-called ‘spin-offs’?

Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby (c) Caryn Mandabach Productions Ltd. | Photographer: Matt Squire

What Will Happen?

It’s looking like we could be more in spin-off territory, rather than full sequel mode. Rumour suggests that the new season – or maybe even new TV series – will take place in the 1950s, following a time jump from the film (which is set during WW2).

We can still expect the usual period drama gore and gang violence, but possibly with a new line-up of characters. Knight has previously said that he’d like to create a new branch of the series focused on a new generation, and this could be where his dream comes to fruition.

Peaky Blinders Season 7 Cast: Will Cillian Murphy Star?

As for the cast, there’s no news on who has signed on just yet. Having been the main star for all previous six seasons of Peaky Blinders, plus the upcoming Immortal Man film, it would make sense that Cillian Murphy’s Tommy Shelby will return for season 7 – but to what extent remains unclear.

The same source that leaked the rumoured new season told The Sun that Murphy’s character will have a role in the new season, although as more of a ‘father figure’ to younger gang members. Perhaps a bit like former matriarch Polly Gray, who served a similar role from seasons 1 through 5.

But where will Tommy Shelby be at this point in his life? By the end of season 6, the timeline sits just before WW2, with Shelby is in his mid-40s – while Netflix confirmed that The Immortal Man is set during the war years. The upcoming season, meanwhile, is set much later, in the 1950s, which could put Shelby anywhere between his late 50s and early 60s. So a more ‘parental authority’ figure could suit him in this case.

Other members of the original Peaky Blinders cast have not been confirmed to make a return – nor have any of the new actors who have been signed on to the film (including Saltburn star Barry Keoghan).

(L to R) Barry Keoghan and Cillian Murphy on the set of The Immortal Man (c) Netflix

What Is It Based On?

While much of the stories, characters and narrative details we see play out on screen have been embellished and dramatised for viewers, there is some truth to Peaky Blinders.

There was indeed a real life Peaky Blinders gang who were based in Birmingham, UK. The group, which was made up of young criminals from lower and working class backgrounds (just like the Shelbys), were known to have engaged in several forms of crime – including robbery, violence, racketeering, illegal bookmaking and control of gambling. (Sounds familiar.) They also typically wore tailored jackets, buttoned waistcoats, leather boots and flat caps. (Very familiar.)

But this is where the similarities end. The group worked the streets of Birmingham long before the events of Peaky Blinders; dates suggest sometime between the 1880s and 1920s, while the show starts in the 1920s. There was no Tommy Shelby, nor any Shelby family that held monopoly over criminal movements in the area.

Although it’s interesting to note that, while the Peaky Blinders gang had dissolved by the 1920s (thanks to a scuffle with the Birmingham Boys, another gang led by Billy Kimber – who also featured in the TV show), the name ‘Peaky Blinders’ soon became a slang term to refer to any street gang in Birmingham.

Release Date

We might get Peaky Blinders season 7 sooner than we thought. Filming for the new season is rumoured to start this summer, with plans to air sometime in 2026, according to The Sun. Though this will be after the film, which still has yet to announce an official release date, comes out on Netflix. Stay tuned for updates.