It’s official… a Peaky Blinders film is being made for Netflix, and according to its star, it’s going to be “one for the fans”.
Fans of the smash-hit BBC drama series will know that the idea of a film sequel has been a very long time coming, with rumours about it having been circulating pretty much since the success of the first series, and the show‘s creators even adding fuel to the fire by refusing to rule-out the prospect – but now, Netflix has confirmed what we’ve all been waiting for.
Taking to its official social media platforms to tease the long-awaited news, Netflix shared a picture of the film’s script and simply revealed that it’s “coming”.
“BIG NEWS: A Peaky Blinders film is coming to Netflix,” the streaming platform confirmed on X.
As you can imagine, not a great deal is known about the film at present.
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Pretty much the only information fans have been given to go off being that the film is written by Peaky Blinders’ original show creator, Steven Knight, and it’s set to be directed by Tom Harper – who’s known for directing three episodes of the show, as well as other TV programmes such as such as This Is England, and the 2015 BBC adaptation of War & Peace.
Oh… and then there’s just the small matter of the fact that Cillian Murphy has been confirmed as returning to his starring role as Tommy Shelby.
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Speaking on getting the chance to team back up with Steven Knight once again, and stepping back into Tommy Shelby’s shoes for the film, Oscar-winner Murphy said: “It seems like Tommy Shelby wasn’t finished with me… It is very gratifying to be re-collaborating with Steven Knight and Tom Harper on the film version of Peaky Blinders.”
The celebrated actor closed out his mysterious statement claiming that “this is one for the fans”.
Knight has previously claimed the plot of the film will carry on the Shelby family’s story, as the timeline approaches the Second World War, and even teased to Esquire that: “I know what two stories it’s going to tell”.
But he said little else about how they will unfold and who exactly they involve.
Further casting announcements, timelines for filming and production, and eventual air dates for the Peaky Blinders film are all expected to be revealed in due course.
But considering we don’t know when that’ll be, all we can do for now is wait.
Featured Image – Netflix UK / BBC
Art & Culture
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 1-7 July 2024
Emily Sergeant
We’ve waved goodbye to June, and now it’s time to welcome a new month with open arms.
Greater Manchester‘s social calendar has been packed full of loads of foodie festivals, cultural celebrations, sporting tournaments, and wholesome family-friendly events so far this summer… and thankfully, there’s even more where that came from in July.
Finding it a bit tricky to pick what to do though?
We’ve chosen a few of the best bits for another edition of our ‘what’s on‘ guide this week, so here’s some of our recommendations.
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Disney’s Aladdin
Palace Theatre Manchester
Monday 1 – Sunday 7 July
This is your last week to catch Disney’s smash-hit musical, Aladdin, here in Manchester.
Based on the beloved 1992 animated film of the same name, and following several critically-acclaimed and sold-out runs on both Broadway and in London’s West End since it first debuted back in 2011, the Tony and Olivier Award-nominated production has taken to the stage down at Manchester’s iconic Palace Theatre.
The musical features all the timeless songs we know and love from the film, and people are already describing it as a seriously magical show.
50 Years of the Replica Shirt / Credit: National Football Museum | Admiral Sports
A new exhibition telling the story of the football shirt pioneers, Admiral, is now open at the National Football Museum.
50 Years of the Replica Shirt will take visitors right through the Admiral’s history, from their humble beginnings in a Leicestershire textile town, to the official kit manufacturers for the England national team – with key moments in the company’s timeline highlighted through a range of objects, photographs, and kit designs.
A groundbreaking new immersive exhibition exploring our relationship with the natural world is now open at Manchester Museum.
‘Wild’ look at how people are creating, rebuilding, and repairing connections with nature, and how the natural world has traditionally been presented and idealised through Western art, as well as looking at some unique approaches to environmental recovery too.
The exhibition will also crucially look at how we can tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis by making the world more wild.
Little Mancs can try their hand at becoming a pilot this summer, as the popular Flight Academy returns to Manchester Airport.
After proving popular with families during plenty of school holidays in recent years, the Flight Academy programme is back at Runway Visitor Park over the next couple of months on a handful of selected dates, especially for the summer break.
Curious kids the chance to learn all about the different job roles that help keep Manchester‘s airport in action throughout the year during 90-minute sessions.
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Find out more and book tickets from £14 each here.
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Power UP
Science and Industry Museum
Monday 1 July – onwards
Power UP / Credit: Science Museum Group
Did you know there’s a huge gaming event currently happening in Manchester?
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With more than 160 consoles and hundreds of games to play, Power UP is back for more in 2024 down at the Science and Industry Museum, and it’s taking ticket-holders on a journey through five decades of gaming every weekend.
There’s everything from retro arcade games, to state-of-the-art virtual reality, and so much more to get stuck into, and each ticket includes unlimited play all day.
Sounds of the City 2024 officially begins this week.
After having established itself as a staple part of the Manchester music scene, with some of the most acclaimed live artists taking to the stage over the years, the festival is back and taking over Castlefield Bowl once again for a series of headline concerts over the next couple of weeks.
Avril Lavigne, The National, Tom Grennan, and Jungle are at just some of the famous names taking to the stage throughout the month.
A General Election ‘all nighter’ where the results will be streamed live onto a big cinema screen is happening in Manchester this week.
Politics fans will want to make sure they’re get themselves down to Cultplex, tucked away inside GRUB in the Green Quarter, from 9:30pm sharp this General Election day on Thursday 4 July to grab a seat ahead of the exit polls and make their way through the many, many hours of crushing and dramatic announcements.
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A full bar, lots of snacks, and “monumental amounts of coffee” will be on offer all night.
Tickets are ‘pay-what-you-can’, and 100% of the profits will go towards the Trussell Trust, and you can find out more here.
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Looking for somewhere to watch UEFA Euro 2024 in Greater Manchester this summer?
European football’s flagship tournament has now officially kicked off.
But if you haven’t been lucky enough to grab tickets to catch a game over in Germany itself, and you don’t fancy sitting at home and watching on your own, then thankfully, our region is filled with places where you can catch all the action surrounded by hundreds of other football fans.
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UEFA Euro 2024 / Credit: Road to Victory
You’re absolutely spoiled for choice this year, as there’s plenty of places in Manchester city centre and beyond screening all the games.
Check out our round-up list of all the best places to watch the Euros in Greater Manchester here.
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Manchester Craft Beer Festival 2024
Depot Mayfield
Friday 5 & Saturday 6 July
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Manchester Craft Beer Festival 2024 / Credit: MCBF
Manchester Craft Beer Festival is back for its fourth year this week.
Taking over Depot Mayfield this Friday and Saturday, and set to be even bigger and better than ever before, the cavernous space will be home to expert-led talks, tastings and tours, as well as live UEFA EURO 2024 screenings.
Some of the world’s best breweries and most dynamic brands from across the planet will be joining in with the fun – with more than 65 breweries and 500 beers to taste.
Find out everything happening at this year’s festival here.
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Red Rose Diner
East Lancashire Railway
Friday 5 July – onwards
Red Rose Diners / Credit: ELR
Greater Manchester’s iconic heritage railway is hosting one of the most unique fine dining experiences in the region this summer.
Running on selected Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays throughout the summer, East Lancashire Railway’s ‘Red Rose Diners’ are described as being “the ultimate first class foodie experience”, as they start with a glass of fizz and stretch over an almost three-hour steam train journey through the Irwell Valley.
The experience includes a four-course dinner with complimentary sparkling wine, followed by tea or coffee and after-dinner chocolates.
Wellnergy Festival 2024 – Manchester / Credit: Wellnergy
Wellnergy Festival is coming to Manchester for the first time ever this weekend.
After the success of last year’s London event – which was even described as being “one of the best festivals of 2023” – Wellnergy is back for more and on its way to Wythenshawe Park & Gardens this Saturday, so prepare to be joined by thousands of other likeminded individuals and immerse yourself in a ‘wellness paradise’.
There’ll be loads of inspirational talks, fitness classes, mindfulness workshops, music, and more to make the most of and get stuck into throughout the day.
Featured Image – Runway Visitor Park | MCBF | Wellnergy
Art & Culture
City centre to become ‘biggest ever’ playground for this year’s Manchester Day
Emily Sergeant
The city centre is to be transformed into the “biggest-ever playground” for this year’s Manchester Day celebrations.
In case you missed it a couple of months back, Manchester Day – which is often dubbed “the day summer officially starts” in Manchester, and undoubtedly one of the most vibrant and colourful events in the city’s annual social calendar – was confirmed for a 2024 return this summer, with our city all set to host a massive celebration of “all things Mancunian” next month.
This means you can expect a day packed full of FREE events and activities to get involved with.
Following the resounding success of last year’s ‘promenade-style’ event that saw activities take place in a number of different locations, , Manchester City Council has revealed that this year’s one-day festival will also take over the city centre.
And now, after weeks of waiting, the theme for this year’s event and all the celebrations lined up, have been revealed.
The city centre will become the ‘biggest ever’ playground for this year’s Manchester Day / Credit: Manchester Day
This year’s event will be inspired by an international summer of sport, according to the Council, and the city’s streets and squares will be filled with music, dancing, and interactive activities that are designed to “bring out the inner athlete” in visitors, both young and old.
As it has done in previous years, the Council is working with outdoor arts specialists, Walk the Plank, on a jam-packed programme for the day that promises something for all ages and all sporting abilities.
Visitors can expect to see jaw-dropping acrobatics, pop-up performances of wrestling, breakdancing, opera, drag, and more in “the most unlikely of places”, and a daring dance-circus production, all while getting stuck into various games such as darts, hook-a-duck, or even the ‘actual reality’ arcade filled with larger-than-life consoles.
Manchester Day is back on Saturday 27 July. 🌞
Inspired by an international summer of sport, expect pop-up performances, astounding acrobatics and have-a-go activities. 🤸♀️🎾🚴♂️
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) June 20, 2024
Most importantly though, in what will be a Manchester Day special for 2024 to mark this sizzling summer of international sport, with UEFA Euro 2024, Wimbledon, and the Olympics being just a couple of the sporting events in the calendar, the Council has also partnered with some of the UK’s leading sports bodies to offer loads of fitness taster sessions and activities throughout the day.
Football, cricket, netball, and taekwondo are just a few of the sports that visitors can expect to show off their skills in.
Gold medals will be awarded in a special ‘Winners’ Enclosure’ throughout the day, and the honours will be up for grabs in all kinds of categories – including cheekiest grin, best Dad dancer, and more.
Sporty celebrations will take place all across the city centre / Credit: Manchester Day
“We know how much Mancunians of all ages love to celebrate the city’s special day with us, and this year we’re really going for gold,” Councillor Pat Karney, who is the Chair of Manchester Day, teased ahead of this year’s event in a couple of weeks time.
“We’ve got an absolutely fantastic day lined up, stuffed full of free things to see and do for all the family, all with a sporting flavour, so grab your granny and your trainers and come on down and join us.”
Manchester Day 2024: Let The Games Begin! will take over the city centre on Saturday 27 July from 12pm-6pm.