New Peaky Blinders Era
Peaky Blinders Sequel Set Post-WWII, Casts Game of Thrones Star as Rival
Key Points
The BBC character synopsis says Charles Shelby “embrac[es] normality” after fighting a violent war “much of it behind enemy lines,” having “severed all ties to the Peaky Blinders gang and the hedonistic Shelby lifestyle,” but warns: “can you ever escape your own blood?”
Creator Steven Knight said the story will again be “rooted in Birmingham” and tell “the story of a city rising from the ashes of the Birmingham blitz,” adding: “The new generation of Shelbys have taken the wheel, and it will be a hell of a ride.”
Variety reports that the sequel’s Duke Shelby “steps into his father Tommy’s shoes” a decade after World War Two, and that Jamie Bell is taking over the role of Duke from Barry Keoghan (who played Duke in the earlier film).
Variety also specifies distribution: the two six-episode series will drop on “BBC and its streamer iPlayer in the U.K.” and on “Netflix in the rest of the world,” with release dates not yet confirmed.
Deadline adds that production is supported by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and notes Peaky Blinders is “the first commission following the new BBC partnersh…”
The BBC's long-awaited Peaky Blinders sequel has found its villain. The Independent reports that Game of Thrones actor Conleth Hill has joined the 1950s-set series as Clemmy Keeler, the patriarch of a rival Birmingham crime family set to clash with the new generation of Shelbys.
Jamie Bell and Charlie Heaton lead the cast as Duke and Charles Shelby. The show is planned as at least two six-episode seasons, split between BBC and iPlayer in the UK and Netflix everywhere else, Variety confirmed. No release date has been set.
Conleth Hill Steps In as the Keeler Crime Patriarch
Hill, best known as Lord Varys in Game of Thrones, plays Clemmy Keeler — described as a "formidable" rival to the Shelbys as both families fight for control of a rebuilding Birmingham, according to The Independent. His son Aidan Keeler is played by Cal O'Driscoll, who serves as a key enforcer for the rival faction.
The addition of Hill has drawn strong early praise. Bleeding Cool noted that Steven Knight's creative direction is shifting toward a broader, almost western-style saga of empire-building — and a formidable villain helps set that tone.
Jamie Bell Takes Over a Role Barry Keoghan Once Played
Duke Shelby was played by Barry Keoghan in the 2026 film Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. Now Jamie Bell steps into the role for the series. Variety says Duke is "older, wiser, and more ambitious" — a decade on from the end of World War Two, stepping into his father Tommy's shoes.
Charlie Heaton plays Charles Shelby, Tommy's eldest son. The BBC's own character synopsis says Charles fought a violent war, "much of it behind enemy lines," and has "severed all ties to the Peaky Blinders gang." But the BBC poses the key question: "Can you ever escape your own blood?"
Old Faces Return While New Gang Members Fill the Ranks
Two original series veterans are back. Ned Dennehy and Packy Lee return as Charlie Strong and Johnny Dogs, according to Geektown, giving the sequel a direct link to the original show. Daniel Monks joins the cast as Detective Inspector Bell, the law's representative in post-war Birmingham.
Duke also has a new crew around him. Samuel Bottomley, Arturo Muselli, Eugene Collins, and Lucie Shorthouse play members of the reformed Peaky Blinders gang, with their characters named Eliot, Angelo, Frank, and Kezia Lee respectively, Geektown reports.
Birmingham's Blitz Ashes Set the Stage for the New Story
Creator Steven Knight said the show will tell "the story of a city rising from the ashes of the Birmingham blitz." Filming is already underway at Digbeth Loc Studios in Birmingham. Deadline notes the production is supported by the West Midlands Combined Authority and is the first commission under a new BBC partnership with local authorities.
The series is set roughly a decade after the 2026 film, placing it around 1953. Knight said: "The new generation of Shelbys have taken the wheel, and it will be a hell of a ride." Two six-episode seasons are planned, though The Independent confirms release dates have not yet been announced.
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