Cillian Murphy’s involvement in Peaky Blinders continues to evolve with the announcement of Tim Roth joining the cast as a new antagonist in the upcoming film, The Immortal Man. This addition brings a fresh and formidable opponent for Tommy Shelby, as the story unfolds in Birmingham and delves into a high-stakes wartime plot.
New Threat Emerges in Peaky Blinders Film
Throughout the Peaky Blinders saga, Tommy Shelby has confronted numerous dangerous foes, including Sam Neill’s corrupt Major Campbell and Adrien Brody’s New York mobster Luca Changretta. However, the latest film presents him with perhaps his most perilous rival yet. Tim Roth plays Beckett, a character attempting to involve Tommy’s son, Duke, in a Nazi-backed operation aimed at destabilizing the UK economy by flooding it with counterfeit currency.
Murphy’s Admiration for Tim Roth and Character Insights
At the Birmingham premiere of The Immortal Man on 2 March, Cillian Murphy spoke exclusively to Radio Times about the complexity of Beckett’s character and his respect for Roth’s acting. Murphy described Beckett as deceptively harmless but lethal, emphasizing Roth’s exceptional performance.
He seems quite innocuous, but he’s deadly,
Murphy stated.
Tim Roth is one of my favourite actors, and we’d worked together before, and I was able to ask him to come and play in this one. He’s brilliant in the film!
During a Q&A session at the BFI on 27 February, Murphy further explained Roth’s influence on his career. He recalled how Roth inspired him long before his own acting career began.
an acting hero of mine growing up
, Murphy shared, adding,
Even before I became an actor his films were massive for me. I once gave him an award in Dublin and embarrassed him, just spoke about every film. And then I was lucky enough to make a film with him about 10 years ago, a smaller film called Broken.
Collaboration Between Roth and Steven Knight Enhances Character Depth
The collaboration between Tim Roth and Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight led to a reinterpretation of Beckett’s background. Initially depicted as an aristocratic officer, Roth influenced Knight to reshape the character into a more working-class figure, mirroring Tommy Shelby’s roots, which Murphy feels bolstered the dynamic in the movie.
Steven Knight explained to Radio Times:
We did a Zoom and he said, maybe he’s not an officer, maybe he’s not a toff, maybe he’s infantry, maybe he’s a working class man,
adding, So that really was fantastic.
Murphy agreed with this direction, highlighting how it created a compelling contrast between the characters.
It made them kind of the opposite sides of the one coin,
he remarked, Which is brilliant.
Film Release and Viewing Options
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man will premiere in cinemas on 6 March, followed by streaming availability on Netflix from 20 March. The streaming service can be accessed through providers like Sky Glass and Virgin Media, while the original Peaky Blinders series remains on BBC iPlayer.
This film extension of the Shelby saga continues to generate anticipation, promising to deepen the story’s exploration of family, loyalty, and wartime challenges in Birmingham. With Murphy and Roth’s on-screen interplay at the center, it sets the stage for an intense confrontation that will likely influence the Peaky Blinders legacy going forward.
