Tommy must face his demons
The first full trailer for the new Peaky Blinders film, The Immortal Man, has been released by Netflix. Continuing from Steven Knight's acclaimed TV drama series, the trailer features Oscar winner Cillian Murphy reprising his role as Tommy Shelby, the flat cap-wearing criminal gang leader, returning to Birmingham during World War Two.
New cast members include Rebecca Ferguson, known for Dune, Tim Roth from Reservoir Dogs, and Barry Keoghan, star of Saltburn, who portrays Shelby's son and appears to require guidance. Stephen Graham, another award-winning actor from Adolescence, also returns.
The film is set in Birmingham in 1940 amid the devastation of World War Two. The storyline centers on a greying, older Shelby who is "driven back from a self-imposed exile to face his most destructive reckoning yet," according to the film's press notes.
"With the future of the family and the country at stake, Tommy must face his own demons, and choose whether to confront his legacy, or burn it to the ground."
Upon his return, it is evident that the Small Heath area Shelby once ruled has changed significantly.
In the trailer, Ferguson's character warns Tommy that he lives in "a house haunted with ghosts of people who died because of you..."
"You abandoned your kingdom and you abandoned your son,"she says.
"Your gypsy son is running the Peaky Blinders like it's 1919, all over again."
Her reference is to Tommy's illegitimate son and current gang leader Duke Shelby, portrayed by the intense-looking Keoghan.
"I can't help him, because I'm not that man any more,"Tommy replies, a statement that convinces no one, least of all himself.
His son might be a Nazi
The trailer introduces Roth's character, an English gentleman officer, who secretly questions Duke Shelby about his willingness to become a traitor.
"I need to know that you are willing to take part in an act of treason that will decide this war for Germany,"he asks.
Duke responds with sentiments indicating his disillusionment, suggesting that since the world does not care about him, he reciprocates that indifference.
Meanwhile, Tommy is interrogated by Hayden Stagg, Stephen Graham's returning character, before setting out to find his son.
Within the old Garrison Tavern, the younger generation appears to require a lesson in respect, particularly towards their elders.
"Once, I nearly got... everything,"Tommy explains to his son over a glass of whisky near the trailer's conclusion.
"But nearly doesn't count."
Fontaines DC singer is on the soundtrack
The TV series, which aired from 2013 for six seasons, was renowned for its stylish production and distinctive soundtrack featuring many notable bands and artists.
This tradition continues, as the trailer features a new song by Grian Chatten, frontman of the influential Dublin rock band Fontaines DC.
"How does it feel to be a savage and a beast?"the haunting lyrics ask.
Production notes indicate that another new track by Amy Taylor of Australian rock band Amyl & the Sniffers will also be included in the film.
Other artists contributing to the Peaky Blinders soundscape include Nick Cave, Lankum, and McLusky, alongside Girl In The Year Above and Chatten, both covering Massive Attack songs.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' 1994 track "Red Right Hand" served as the iconic theme tune for the TV series, and a new version is expected in the film.
When the film is out and how to watch it
The Immortal Man will be released in select cinemas on 6 March, two weeks prior to its streaming debut on 20 March.
Written again by Steven Knight and directed by Tom Harper, the film's cast also includes Sophie Rundle (After the Flood), Ned Dennehy (Culprits), Packy Lee (Blue Lights), Ian Peck (His Dark Materials), and Jay Lycurgo (Steve).
The trailer is available for viewing online.
Following the film, the Peaky Blinders series will return to television, continuing the story of the Shelby family's new generation after World War Two.
