Creator Steven Knight has revealed that Tommy Shelby dies in the Netflix film 'Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man', which premiered on March 20, 2026. The story culminates in a violent confrontation with his son Duke, played by Barry Keoghan, setting up a sequel spinoff focused on the next generation of Shelbys.
The film 'Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man' brings a close to Cillian Murphy's portrayal of Tommy Shelby after six seasons of the series. In an interview with Variety ahead of the film's theatrical release, Steven Knight described the emotional weight of ending the character's arc, which he first conceived in the 1980s. 'Quite emotional, especially seeing [the premiere] the other night,' Knight said, noting fans' deep attachment, including tattoos of the character among unlikely admirers like builders in pubs. He shed tears while writing the finale, he added. Knight explained that Tommy's death fulfills a theme of succession and legacy. Despite Tommy once stating that 'the only person who can kill Tommy Shelby is Tommy Shelby', Knight opted for a different path decided 'probably about a minute before I wrote it'. Tommy is mortally wounded and chooses to join his family, including Grace, using a bullet inscribed with his name in a nod to Shelby tradition. The climactic fight occurs in a muddy pig yard, featuring real animals and hazards. Pigs attempted to eat Barry Keoghan after he hit the ground, and a horse reared up close to Cillian Murphy, who calmed it without a stand-in. The scene, shot over a day and part, shows Tommy decisively overpowering Duke, with Knight joking about Shelby lying on burning money at his funeral: 'He’s lived all his life accumulating money. And now, when he dies, it’s all gonna burn.' Originally planned as a seventh season followed by a film, the project shifted to a direct movie due to the pandemic. A spinoff centered on Duke is in development, which Knight described as 'so much fun' and progressing 'quite nicely'. The interview noted the tragic absence of Helen McCrory, with her photo appearing in the funeral scene.