By the order of the Peaky Blinders, Cillian Murphy‘s Tommy Shelby and his crew of Birmingham mobsters are back in this teaser-trailer for Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.
Netflix dropped the new footage for the upcoming film, the first big screen chapter following a six-season TV run, on Christmas Eve. Driven by the vibes and atmosphere Peaky Blinders fans know and love, Murphy’s Shelby is seen wondering a forest, graveyard and home as a voice ponders, “Whatever happened to Tommy Shelby?”
As a phone ring echoes, a series of scenes — some violent, bloody or alluding to the presence of Nazis — rapidly flash on screen. As Shelby responds, “I’m not that man anymore,” another series of images flash, this time of a massive building explosion, a red scarf draped over a headstone and a spinning coin. That’s when another voice tells Shelby, “You gotta come back,” as he slams his hands down on a table.
The move triggers even more scenes, this time with a rapid machine gun, a pocket watch, burning photos and a glimpse of cast member Barry Keoghan.
The minute-long teaser trailer, while sparse on narrative, is chock full of imagery fans of the series might recognize — and speculate about. The film itself is set in 1940 Birmingham amid WWII, with Shelby driven out of the self-imposed exile he chose at the end of season six. With both his family and country at stake, the equally brutal and charismatic gang leader will face his biggest and most destruction reckoning, taking on his own demons as he decides whether to confront his legacy or burn it down.
In a conversation with Netflix’s Tudum, Murphy discussed his decision to return to Shelby, after his character garnered a well-received series ending. “It seems like Tommy Shelby wasn’t finished with me,” Murphy told Netflix. “It is very gratifying to be re-collaborating with Steven Knight and Tom Harper on the film version of Peaky Blinders. This is one for the fans.”
Series creator Knight added: “The country is at war, and so, of course, are our Peaky Blinders,” Knight told Netflix. “It will be an explosive chapter in the Peaky Blinders story. No holds barred. Full-on Peaky Blinders at war.”
Returning alongside Knight is director Tom Harper, with cast members including Murphy, Keoghan, Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Roth, Sophie Rundle, Ned Dennehy, Packy Lee, Ian Peck, Jay Lycurgo, and Stephen Graham.
In December, Netflix announced that the return of Peaky Blinders would come in two forms — a two-week theatrical release on March 6, and then its streaming release, beginning March 20.