Crime boss Tommy Shelby’s return to the screen will bring with it a slew of familiar faces— and a few new ones, too. Chief among them? Barry Keoghan, the idiosyncratic Irish actor whose cheekbones could give Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy‘s a run for his money. Netflix released its first image of the Saltburn actor from the set of its iconic TV series-turned-feature film, which is sure to get fans of the beloved show excited about what’s to come.
As reported over at Screenrant, Netflix posted the first look at Keoghan’s new character on X (formerly known as Twitter), and sent fans into an excited spiral over what it all might mean for Birmingham’s finest and most cutthroat criminal organization.
Who is Barry Keoghan Playing in Peaky Blinders?
Though new photos from the set have leaked in recent weeks, many details about the film are being kept under wraps, including whom, exactly, Barry Keoghan’s character is in relation to the world of writer/director Steven Knight’s gritty and historical crime drama. Upon closer inspection of the image, however, we can see that Keoghan, decked out in a newsboy cap and leather jacket, looks to be behind the wheel of a truck in an industrial setting. This could mean anything, of course, but feels like a clue to how his character fits into crime boss Tommy Shelby’s world.
The film is said to take place during World War II, whereas the original series was set between 1919 and 1933, meaning much will likely have come to pass in the intervening years, both personally and professionally, for everyone involved.
Who is Returning for the Peaky Blinders movie?
For Birmingham, England’s most notorious gang, the new timing no doubt means many changes, but not without a few beloved actors returning to the scene (of all their crimes). Most notably among them is the aforementioned star, Murphy, whose character was believed to be dead when the series ended back in 2022. Already confirmed to be returning to the fight for dominion over the Birmingham crime scene will be Stephen Graham’s Hayden Stagg and Tom Hardy’s Alfie Solomons.
Of course, Keoghan isn’t the only newbie on the scene. According to recent casting announcements, powerhouse actress of Mission: Impossible and Dune fame, Rebecca Ferguson, is also set to star in the film. (And whose inclusion in the project should get anyone and everyone excited about what the Netflix film has in store for us.) Tim Roth and Jay Lycurgo have also been cast in as-yet-announced roles. According to Steven Knight, they’ve “got some more announcements coming,” too, so it’s only a matter of time before more exciting updates befall us.
The original Peaky Blinders was a gritty period drama made for the BBC and premiered in 2013. Created by Steven Knight, it followed the exploits of the Peaky Blinders crime gang following the Great War (a.k.a. World War I). The fictional gang is loosely based on a real urban youth gang who were active in the city at the time. It featured an ensemble cast led by Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby, alongside Helen McCrory, Paul Anderson, Sophie Rundle, and Joe Cole. Other famous actors to have appeared in the series include Sam Neill, Annabelle Wallis, Iddo Goldberg, Tom Hardy, Charlotte Riley, Finn Cole, Natasha O’Keeffe, Paddy Considine, Adrien Brody, Aidan Gillen, Anya Taylor-Joy, Sam Claflin, Amber Anderson, James Frecheville, and Stephen Graham. It aired on Netflix worldwide. No date has been announced for its release.