The forthcoming ‘Peaky Blinders’ movie is still in the preparation stage, but the BBC crime series’ army of fans now have something else to get excited about while it comes together.
The six seasons of the period TV epic to date have all been set and filmed in Birmingham, and now the city’s tourism officials are keen to find a permanent home for ‘Peaky Blinders’ in the city.
Yes, a ‘Peaky Blinders’ theme park is coming to town – at least, if local politicians and business bodies have any say in it.
‘As the tourism body for the West Midlands, we have witnessed at first hand just how much of a global phenomenon “Peaky Blinders” has become, putting our region on the map with domestic and international visitors,’ Neil Rami, chief executive of the West Midlands Growth Company, tells Mail Online.
‘Following the positive impact of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, we are keen to keep the spotlight firmly on the area by exploring the feasibility of something more permanent to capitalise on the positive momentum of the “Peaky effect” with visitors,’ he adds.
‘It’s actually a no-brainer for tourism chiefs keen to get the maximum draw and make the most of a TV show that was an international hit,’ a TV insider tells The Sun.
The show follows Cillian Murphy’s ‘Peaky Blinders’ gang lord Tommy Shelby as he builds a Midlands-based crime empire in the aftermath of the First World War. Local councillor Ian Ward, leader of Birmingham City Council is campaigning for a permanent Shelbyville in the city.
‘Birmingham is central to the “Peaky Blinders” story, with the city and Black Country’s streets relayed to millions of homes in the UK and across the world,’ says Ward.
‘Beyond [the series’] popularity, the appeal of Birmingham as a prime location for leading national and international filmmakers has grown, with the likes of Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise recently calling the city home for filming projects.’
So, what might be involved in ‘Peaky Blinders World’? Would it be a ‘Westworld’-like extravaganza of intimidating men in waistcoats and period headgear pulling pints, as well as bodies out of canals? Will there be a ‘It’s a Small World’-type boat trip down the Grand Union? Fingers crossed we get to find out.
Read more: Meet ‘Peaky Blinders’ star Daryl McCormack.
Plus: read our review of immersive theatre experience ‘Peaky Blinders: The Rise’.