Summary

  • Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man premieres

  • Symphony Hall in Birmingham hosts the red carpet event

  • Cillian Murphy returns as Tommy Shelby in Stephen Knight's big screen adaptation

  • The movie's lead signs autographs and poses for selfies

  • Peaky Blinders and Birmingham 'cannot be separated', Murphy says

  • Other attending cast members include Rebecca Ferguson and Tim Roth

  • Doing a Brummie accent 'was never a conversation', Ferguson reveals

  • 'Peaky fans have been the energy' says creator Knight

  • 'Everybody's making an effort to get dressed up'

  • Early review: "I loved it"

  • 'I never thought I'd be a tram'

Live Reporting

Written by Chloe Hughes and Vanessa Pearce, edited by John Newton

  1. 'One of the stars of the film is Birmingham'

    Kate Baldock

    Creator and writer of Peaky Blinders Steven Knight has explained the inspiration behind the film, set during WW2, and why Birmingham had to have a lead role.

    A still from the film showing an explosion with people runningNetflix

    "Set it in the Birmingham blitz - not many people know Birmingham was so heavily bombed.

    "Just to reflect what the city went through was important.

    "One of the stars of the film is Birmingham and for the first time we shot everything here. Previously we've shot in the north, Leeds and Manchester and places, this time I was adamant we had to do it here."

    Knight also offered a little bit more about the plot...

    "Part of the reason for the story is in the Second World War, the Germans forged £320m worth of fake currency and wanted to flood the economy with it and destroy the country that way," he said.

    "And it nearly worked, so I've used that as a jumping off place."

  2. City takes on a WW2 feel for premiere

    James Bovill
    West Midlands

    There's plenty of theming in Birmingham today as the Peaky Blinders movie makes its formal debut at Symphony Hall later.

    The props set a World War Two feel, with the film telling the story of how the Shelbys are getting on as the conflict reaches their city.

    Peaky Blinders flaming logo outside Symphony Hall

    Sandbags and rubble symbolise the air raid at the start of the movie, and there is a giant logo that is set to go up in flames.

    Rubble next to the Peaky Blinders red carpet

  3. 'I never thought I'd be a tram'

    We told you earlier about an unusual accolade for Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight - a Birmingham tram has been named after him in recognition of his internationally-renowned drama that has raised the profile of the city.

    Here's Knight taking a closer look at the public transport bearing his name.

    "I never thought I'd be a tram," he said.

    Steven Knight crouching next to his namePA Media

    "It's quite surreal," he said, "especially because where we are now I used to walk to work and this was full of cars and buses.

    "It's a real honour," he added.

    Stephen Knight standing next to a Peaky Blinders-themed tramPA Media

  4. 'The fans have been the energy'

    Steven Knight has been talking about this evening's premiere and how Peaky Blinders' fans have been a driving force behind the drama's success.

    Steven Knight stands in front of a picture of Cillian MurphyPA Media

    "I'm really looking forward to tonight," he said.

    "The thing with Peaky is that people do tend to watch it on their own or in their house but this is a chance for people to watch it together."

    He added, "The fans have been like the energy for the show from the very beginning. It was never really pushed or promoted, or advertised much. It was the fans who discovered it and then talked to each other about it."

  5. The Peaky Blinders effect

    Ed James
    BBC Radio WM

    Let's take a look now at what's been called the Peaky Blinders effect - a surge in recognition for Birmingham since the show's debut.

    The show was in 2021 crowned the most popular Netflix series in the world, the streaming platform being the international host to Peaky Blinders which is broadcast on the BBC domestically.

    And it would appear that this kind of audience has rubbed off on the city where the saga is set.

    Martin Simms from Production Central West Midlands says the city is seeing benefits.

    Martin Simms has short black hair and is standing on a stage at a podium with a black microphone to his mouth. He is wearing a black top with a beige suit jacket. There is a screen behind him with a photo of him on it, and it reads "Martin Simms, head of production central"Production Central West Midlands

    "Just from the film being in the region alone, when they were filming, there was a million pound economic spend which went to the local supply chain, the hospitality industry… local job opportunities created as a result of that," he said.

    "We’ve seen a 19% increase of international visitors and if we look at just the US alone, we’ve seen a 50% increase of US visitors that have come as a result of [Peaky Blinders]."

    He said there were "interesting things to come, and hinted that Steven Knight had got some "great plans" himself.

    "You’ve got drinks and food named after Peaky Blinders slogans and all the rest, I think that now presents a real strong opportunity that we need to take a hold of."

  6. What's next for Peaky Blinders?

    Although a feature film may feel like a final hurrah for the world of Peaky Blinders, it's not the last time you'll see the Shelby family on screen.

    Last year, the BBC and Netflix announced there will be two new series, following a new generation of Shelbys.

    Stephen Knight wears a peaky cap, brown jacket and white shirtNetflix

    If the cap fits..... Peaky Blinders creator and writer Steven Knight

    Set in the 1950s, the timeline of the sequel will pick up after the events that ensue in the new film, The Immortal Man.

    All we know of the plot so far is that after being heavily bombed in World War Two, Birmingham is building a better future out of concrete and steel.

    But the race to own Birmingham’s massive reconstruction project becomes a brutal contest. This is a city of unprecedented opportunity and danger, with the Shelby family right at its blood-soaked heart.

    Both series will have six episodes, each an hour long - they'll be produced for BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK and for Netflix globally.

    Steven Knight will return as writer and creator, with Cillian Murphy among the executive producers.

  7. Early review from our man on the inside

    James Bovill
    West Midlands

    I was lucky enough to see the film at a special screening this afternoon - and fans of Peaky Blinders certainly won't be disappointed by this bigger, bolder and at times darker continuation of the hit show.

    Tommy Shelby has grey and brown hair which sweeps to the side. He is wearing a suit jacket with a white shirt in a dimly lit room. He has a crescent shaped cut on his cheek with dried blood on it. On a wall next to him is a gold mirror with a hanging lamp which illuminates Shelby's face in a soft yellow glow.Netflix

    We join Tommy Shelby in 1940, six years or so after the last series ended, as German bombs rain down on Birmingham.

    Reclusive and still haunted by his past, Cillian Murphy's Shelby is driven back from self-imposed exile for an epic battle over the future of his family and the country.

    His son Duke - in a role Barry Keoghan seems born to play - must decide between family and infamy.

    It all concludes with a breathless finale featuring British acting royalty Tim Roth and Stephen Graham and tour de force performances from Keoghan and Murphy.

    This is a film, like the show, firmly rooted in Birmingham, and all the better for filming in the city and at creator Steven Knight's new Digbeth Loc studios.

    I loved it, and fans no doubt will too.

  8. The sinister sound of Peaky Blinders

    Ok, let's come away from trams and bulls for a while and get back to all things red carpet...

    We're expecting Fontaines DC frontman Grian Chatten on the red carpet later - he's recorded a track called Puppet for the film, which can be heard on the film's trailer.

    Grian Chatten

    Chatten told BBC Radio 1's Jack Saunders that he had to resist the urge to shave his head "Peaky-style" during the recording process.

    "I got the joy of watching a lot of the scenes over and over again, and it's a wonderfully layered piece of work," he said.

    "There's an awful lot of inspiration to bounce back off. It's a really interesting thing to try and not spoil or kind of over narrate the scene, and allow the pictures to speak for themselves - which is the magic of cinema."

  9. The bull turned Peaky Blinder

    Rachael Lewis
    BBC Radio WM

    Let's stick for now with how the telltale signs of Peaky-itis are showing across Birmingham.

    The mechanical bull that made its debut when the city hosted the Commonwealth Games a few years ago is on public display at Birmingham's main rail hub Grand Central.

    But what's that in between the horns? it's only a massive Peaky-style flat cap.

    Ozzy the bull at New Street Station wears a peaked capPA Media

    Named after late rock star Ozzy Osbourne, Ozzy the bull has been a popular feature in the station since July 2023.

    Alongside the bronze bovine, there's an interactive experience for Peaky fans where they can don a flat cap and step into a photo booth to record the chic local look for posterity.

    Ozzy the bull on the concourse of New Street Station. There is a red carpet in front of him leading to two white gates with commuters surrounding him, many taking photographsPA Media

    The 33ft-tall bull also has a red carpet laid out before him... We're telling you, movie premiere fever is everywhere. Or should that be mooooo-vie premiere?

    More puns guaranteed during the next few hours. There's no cap on 'em here.

  10. Hop on the Metro - by order of the Peaky Blinders

    Ahead of the premiere, Transport for West Midlands has unveiled a special Metro tram.

    It's adorned in a wrap bearing the legend: Home of the Peaky Blinders.

    A tram vehicle at a station that has a blue drivers cab. The rest of the tram is black and brown, with large white writing that reads "Home of the". On the cab it says "Steven Knight" which is the tram's name

    It was shown off for the first time at the Library tram stop in Centenary Square at 13:30. And for the occasion, the tram has a new name, Steven Knight, in recognition of his work promoting Birmingham and the wider region through the Peaky Blinders franchise.

    So dust off your best hat and three-piece suit and get around the city in style.

    The other half of the metro tram, which is brown and has Tommy Shelby on the front, with much of the top of his face covered by a flat cap. In white writing it reads "Peaky Blinders" and says "Steven Knight" on the blue half of the back cab

  11. What else do we know about the film and who's in it?

    Paul Glynn
    Entertainment & arts reporter

    We gave you an overview of what to expect earlier, but let's take a slightly deeper dive.

    The film is set in Birmingham in 1940 amid the destruction caused by World War Two, when a greying and older-looking Shelby is "driven back from a self-imposed exile to face his most destructive reckoning yet", according to the official synopsis.

    Production still from The Immortal Man showing actors Barry Keoghan and Cillian Murphy facing each other across a barNetflix

    New additions to the cast include Dune actress Rebecca Ferguson, Reservoir Dogs actor Tim Roth and Saltburn star Barry Keoghan, who plays Shelby's son who seems to need to be set on the right path.

    Another award winner, Adolescence's Stephen Graham also returns, as well as Sophie Rundle as Tommy's sister, Ada.

    You can read more here.

  12. When the film is out and how to watch it

    For those of us not attending today's premiere, when can we watch the film?

    The Immortal Man gets a run at "select cinemas" from 6 March.

    That's two weeks ahead of its streaming release on Netflix on 20 March.

    Production still from The Immortal Man showing eight male cast members wearing flat caps, suits and overcoats, walking down a Birmingham streetNetflix

    Written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight and directed by Tom Harper, the film features a cast alongside Cillian Murphy that includes Ned Dennehy (Culprits), Packy Lee (Blue Lights) and Ian Peck (His Dark Materials), as well as Jay Lycurgo (Steve).

    After the film, Peaky Blinders is to return to TV with a time-jump, and follows the exploits of a new generation of the Shelby family after World War Two.

  13. Fans gather in the Birmingham sunshine

    Among those visiting Birmingham for the premiere today are Claire White and Albert Laszlo from Derby.

    Claire White and Albert Laszlo wearing Peaky Blinders-style clothing standing in front of a promotional van

    They've arrived early and will be watching the red carpet arrivals later.

    The pair said they were planning to open a Peaky Blinders-themed cafe and cake bar, decorated with signed memorabilia.

    And cop a load of this cosplay.... mean 'tache? Check. Short back and sides? Check.

    At least two of those below look like they stepped straight off the screen. We love a good Brum-a-like....

    Peaky Blinders fansPA Media

  14. Who is due on the red carpet?

    Vanessa Pearce
    BBC News

    The red carpet is being rolled out at Birmingham's Symphony Hall for the premiere, with arrivals expected from about 17:30.

    Crowds are expected to gather well before that and Birmingham is getting dressed up to welcome them, with a few objects dotted around the city that leave you not quite sure what year it is.

    A brown vintage van with Peaky Blinders, The Immortal Man written on the side

    The screening itself starts at 19:00 but before that we're expecting Tommy Shelby himself, Cillian Murphy, along with Peaky creator Stephen Knight to grace the red carpet.

    Cast members Tom Harper, Rebecca Ferguson and Tim Roth are also expected, along with soundtrack artists Fontaines DC, Lankum and Girl In The Year Above.

    An electronic screen showing a picture of Tommy Shelby on a horse, with Welcome to the world premiere of Peaky Blinders The Immortal Man showing on it

  15. Birmingham begins to feel a bit Peaky

    What the Shelby!

    It's finally here, the long-awaited premiere of the Peaky Blinders movie, The Immortal Man.

    The film picks up from Steven Knight's acclaimed TV drama series and stars Oscar winner Cillian Murphy who reprises his role as gang leader Tommy Shelby, returning to Birmingham during World War Two.

    Join us this afternoon as we bring you coverage of the event live from the city in which the saga is set.

    So... 0121-do-one Sopranos. There's only room today for one TV crime family as they make the leap to the big screen.

    The event proper gets under way in just a few hours, but in the meantime we'll bring you the background on the film, the buzz around Brum, the thoughts of fans, and perhaps one or two surprises along the way.

    In other words, we are at peak Peaky... How's all that sound, bab?

    It's now time to fix your flat cap to an angle that says "vague air of menace", sit back, and enjoy the build-up. Or else.