Facts About Peaky Blinders:
Thomas Shelby is back with his gang and the stakes are higher than ever. Thomas Shelby is arguably one of the most meticulous and cunning personalities in the entertainment industry and he is portrayed perfectly by Cillian Murphy and we cannot wait to see what he has in store for us now.
#1: The cast had to smoke a lot of cigarettes
As we have all seen, the show is set in London in the early the 1900s, so to make it realistic, the actors had to smoke a lot of cigarettes. Cillian Murphy had smoked over 3,000 cigarettes on the show just by the end of season 2. His current count would sum to about 6,000 cigarettes on set. However, he has informed reporters that he smokes Herbal cigarettes, which do not contain tobacco or nicotine.
#2: Tom Hardy’s wife is in the show
In season 2, a new character was introduced, named May Carleton played by the beautiful Charlotte Riley. In the show, May and Thomas Shelby were involved romantically and that must have been very awkward as Riley is the wife of Tom Hardy in real life, who also plays a big role in the series.
#3: The Real Peaky Blinders did not carry Blades
In the show, the Peaky Blinders carry a blade in their hats and it is a big part of the show. However, in reality, The Peaky Blinders did not carry razor blades in their hats since in the 1890s, when the gang was really present, blades were considered a luxury item and too expensive for the gang to own. The idea of razor blades hidden in caps has its roots in John Douglas’ novel “A Walk Down Summer Lane”.
#4: Historical Inaccuracies
In the show, it is shown that the Peaky Blinders were very strong in the 1920s in Birmingham, but in reality, they were the strongest in the 1890s and they slowly started to lose their position. ‘The Birmingham Gang’ was the most prominent gang in the 1920s and they took the no.1 position from The Peaky Blinders.
#5: Reunion of Batman Villains
The Dark Knight trilogy is the best superhero trilogy ever created thanks to Christopher Nolan. In the show Peaky Blinders, Cillian Murphy is the lead whereas Tom Hardy plays a prominent character. Both of them played villains in the Dark Knight Trilogy. Cillian played the role of Scarecrow in ‘Batman Begins’ whereas Tom Hardy played the role of Bane in the movie ‘The Dark Knight Rises’. Now, wait till Christian Bale joins the show.
#6: A Virtual Reality Game is in the works
The developers have confirmed that a Peaky Blinders video game is in the works and it is set to release in 2020. Endemol has partnered with Curve Digital and FutureLab to create a narrative action game inspired by the epic Gangster drama. Soon, you’ll be able to create your own criminal syndicate in Birmingham.
#7: The show about Birmingham is hardly shot in Birmingham
The show is set in 1920s Birmingham, but it is mostly filmed around Liverpool and Merseyside and in London. There are hardly any scenes shot in Birmingham as there are very few areas of Birmingham left that still resemble the period environment required. The city went through the process of Industrialisation very fast.
#8: The show’s title is derived from caps
In the show, as we have all seen the caps play a big role. The show’s title is derived from the gang practice of wearing flat “peaked” caps, which they could then see under due to the shorter brims compared to the hats usually worn by more distinguished gentlemen. The show is very symbolic and every small detail carries a bigger meaning.
#9: Inspiration behind the show
The creator of the show Steven Knight was inspired to make the show by his father. When he was still a kid, his father once asked him to give a message on a piece of paper to his uncles’. His uncles were the Sheldons, who eventually became the Shelbys and he took a lot of inspiration from his family dynamics.
#10: Knight wanted Jason Statham to play Thomas Shelby
Knight and Statham have worked together in the past in the movie Redemption (2013). Knight was really impressed by Jason’s work and we all know he has a proper English accent. So, Knight approached Jason to play the lead in the show. Unfortunately, that could not materialize as Jason had other commitments.
