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 through six seasons of the original show and the recent Netflix movie 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 remake was widely expected as the new series is set a full decade after the events of the film, moving the story into post-war Birmingham in the early 1950s.
Heaton, best known internationally for playing Jonathan Byers across all five seasons of Stranger Thingsjoins Bell in a starring role, though details about his character have yet to be revealed.
The show’s announcement suggests that he may lead the new generation of the Shelby gang alongside Duke.
Jessica Brown Findlay, Lashana Lynch and Lucy Karczewski, who is making her TV debut with the role, have also been cast, although their characters remain a secret for now.
Knight was clearly encouraged by the announcement. “I am thrilled that we are announcing a new era Peaky Blindersand moved the story to post-war Birmingham in the early 50s,” he said.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have Jamie Bell take on the role of Tommy Shelby’s eldest son, Duke, and to have Charlie Heaton also leading the cast. There are more exciting cast announcements to come and Peaky is back on the road.”
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 competition to rebuild Birmingham in the aftermath of the war.
The message comes as The Immortal Man continues to dominate Netflix and has been number one globally for two consecutive weeks since its March 20 release.
