'Peaky Blinders' has major casting shakeup for lead role in upcoming sequel series

Peaky Blinders will no longer be continuing with Barry Keoghan for their new sequel in the works.

While the upcoming series, created by Steven Knight, will pick up roughly a decade after the events of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, the franchise has decided to opt for a different actor to play Duke Shelby, the eldest son of Tommy Shelby.

The franchise has now announced that Jamie Bell will be stepping into the shoes of a grown up Duke, replacing Keoghan, who featured as the teenage Duke.

The older Duke has described the character as "wiser, more ambitious, and most certainly more dangerous,” per the synopsis. The new installment is set against the backdrop of post-World War II recovery, focused on the race to rebuild Birmingham while old rivalries and ambitions resurface.

“I am thrilled that we are announcing a new era of Peaky Blinders, moving the story to post-war Birmingham in the early 50s,” Knight said in a statement.

The creator continued, “We are incredibly fortunate to have Jamie Bell taking the role of Tommy Shelby’s oldest son, Duke, and to have Charlie Heaton also leading the cast.”

Charlie Heaton will also lead the cast, joined by Jessica Brown Findlay, Lashana Lynch, and Lucy Karczewski.

The original series concluded in April 2022 after six seasons and 36 episodes. It even earned a BAFTA for Best Drama Series. 

Filming for the new series is reportedly underway in Birmingham, though a release date has not yet been announced.