The Immortal Man, the upcomingPeaky BlindersNetflix movie, is set to release in theaters, creator Steven Knight reveals. Airing for six popular seasons from 2013 to 2022, the historical crime drama series stars Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby, the leader of a gang who sew razor blades into their caps. Following the success of season 6, Shelby is now set to return inThe Immortal Man, a feature-lengthPeaky Blindersmovieset during World War II from director Tom Harper with a script by Knight.
In a recent interview withThe Playlist, Knight shares new details aboutThe Immortal Man. “We’ve got, I think, the best British acting talent all in one place," Knight says of the movie’s impressive cast. He also reveals that he’s now seen some early cuts of the movie, saying that what he’s seen “is mind-blowingly good.” Perhaps most interestingly, though, Knight says thatthePeaky Blindersmovie will be getting a theatrical release, a rarity for Netflix projects. Check out his full comment below:
“I just wanted to do it. I mean, part of it is, and this is not obviously the prime motivation, although I could pretend it is: I really want the ‘Peaky’ fans who have been a big part of this, the way they found it. It was never promoted massively, but people just found it and told each other about it. And the way that they’re so passionate about it, I really want them to be watching this all together in one building because the communication has all been virtual, which is fine. But I do want this to be in cinemas so that people can sit there together and watch this thing happen.”
When pushed for confirmation that the movie is indeed going to theaters, he confirmed the news:
“Yes. Well, I’ve just made that announcement. So, yes.”
Knight also shared some high praise for Murphy, who will be reprising his role in the upcoming film:
“Cillian is the most down to earth, straightforward person, never mind actor, just human being that you would ever meet. And when he was getting all his awards, he used to text me pretty much LA time next day, saying, ‘I can’t wait to be on the ‘Peaky’ set. He leads the line in terms of actors. He sets the standards so people have to turn up knowing their lines. They have to turn up on time. And that is such a great thing to have."
Elsewhere in the interview, Knight calls the movie “a fitting end to the first chapter,” before then addressing some of his earlier comments that morePeaky Blindersis on the way after the movie:
“It’s like, ‘Hey, we got plenty more [story] if we want to tell it. We can just keep going; just keep going through time. As long as there’s an appetite for it and people want it and I’ve got stories to tell, then why not?”
The stellarImmortal Mancastthat Knight is referring to includes Murphy, Rebecca Ferguson, Barry Keoghan, Tim Roth, Stephen Graham, Sophie Rundle, Ned Dennehy, Ian Peck, Packy Lee, and Jay Lycurgo.
What A Theatrical Release Means For The Peaky Blinders Movie
The Immortal Man Will Be A Rare Case For Netflix
Netflix has repeatedly reiterated that releasing movies into theaters is not the business they are in. Despite this, some titles do get special treatment.Netflix will give select films, such asEmila Pérez(2024), very limited theatrical runs so that they are eligible to compete in major awards showslike theGolden Globesand theOscars. The biggest change to Netflix’s release strategy is actually set to arrive in late 2026 with the release ofGreta Gerwig’sNarniamovie, which is getting a two-week IMAX exclusive run before landing on Netflix in late December.
Peaky Blinders' Movie Is Continuing A Cillian Murphy Trend That Defined Two Of His Best Movies
Cillian Murphy is set to star in the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie, which is following in the footsteps of two of the actor’s best movies.
Knight’s comments don’t reveal how extensiveThe Immortal Man’s theatrical release will be, but past Netflix movies suggestit probably won’t have a particularly long window on the big screen. It also remains unknown whether it will release in theaters only in the U.K. or if it will get theatrical play in North America as well. Still, most Netflix movies don’t get theatrical releases at all, meaning thePeaky Blindersmovie will become part of a fairly exclusive club.
Our Take On The Immortal Man’s Theatrical Release
A Theatrical Release Will Eventize The Peaky Blinders Movie
Peaky Blinders' 6 seasonswere all popular and generally well-received, and it’s clear that there is a large audience for the series. This could translate into an impressive showing at the box office, even if it only ends up running for two weeks. Regardless of how much it ends up grossing at the box office,the theatrical release will makeThe Immortal Manfeel like more of an event, something that Netflix’s streaming-only releases often lack.
With Gerwig’sNarniamovie and nowThe Immortal Man, hopefully Netflix will slightly relax its position on theatrical releases in the years ahead.
Though it will probably never be the norm for Netflix movies,more titles from the streamer should be given the opportunity to play on the big screen, building up an audience and buzz before landing on the streamer. With Gerwig’sNarniamovie and nowThe Immortal Man, hopefully Netflix will slightly relax its position on theatrical releases in the years ahead. WithThe Immortal Manset to release at some point this year, more information on its release strategy may not be far off.
