The REAL people, rivalries and crimes within Birmingham's Peaky Blinders as new Netflix film The Immortal Man hits screens next month
Peaky Blinders is set to return to screens with new film, The Immortal Man, in less than a month, with Cillian Murphy's Thomas Shelby back for more. The hit franchise ran across 36 episodes over six series before it was announced it would return in movie format, with a spin-off series also in the works. It's been a long wait for fans of the franchise, with creator Steven Knight first teasing the release of a film back in 2021, before it was confirmed last year. While it will be made available to view in select cinemas from March 6, 2026, the wider public will be able to stream on Netflix from March 20.The film will pick up four years after viewers last said goodbye to the Shelby clan in the series finale of Peaky Blinders.Tommy Shelby, who has been played by Cillian, 49, since the show's debut in 2013, will be driven back to Birmingham from his self-imposed exile. Peaky Blinders is set to return to screens with new film, The Immortal Man, in less than a month, with Cillian Murphy's Thomas Shelby back for more The hit franchise ran across 36 episodes over six series before it was announced it would return in movie format, with a spin-off series also in the worksThe synopsis teases the character will face his 'most destructive reckoning yet', adding: 'With the future of the family and the country at stake, Tommy must face his own demons, and choose whether to confront his legacy, or burn it to the ground. By order of the Peaky Blinders.'Die-hard fans of the series may know that the fictional characters and the series story are loosely based on a real gang members from Birmingham. Creator Steven drew inspiration from stories his parents told him about real gangs that operated in the area much earlier than the show's post World War I setting. Now, genealogy site Ancestry has given a look behind the curtain about the real figures who inspired the hit series, delving into newspaper articles from the past on their site Newspapers.com. Historical records reveal that the term 'Peaky Blinders' originally referred not to a single organised crime dynasty, but to a group of violent youths operating in Birmingham.The newspapers used the label broadly, often applying it to anyone sporting the now-iconic flat-peaked caps associated with the gangs activity. One of the most recognisable names from the series is William ‘Billy’ Kimber, portrayed on screen by Charlie Creed-Miles. In reality, Kimber was a formidable figure long before television dramatised his life, the leader of the Birmingham Boys gang, and appears in official documents and newspapers throughout the early 20th century. The newspapers used the label broadly, often applying it to anyone sporting the now-iconic flat-peaked caps associated with the gangs activity Die-hard fans of the series may know that the fictional characters and the series story are loosely based on a real gang members from BirminghamIn 1921, Kimber was recorded living in London with his partner, Cissie Kimber, and her family - and were unmarried until 1926, despite living together. Just weeks before that 1921 census was taken, the Birmingham Gazette reported that Kimber had been injured in a fight with a rival gang.Contrary to popular belief, the Peaky Blinders weren't just women, and newspaper reports from the era identify women as active participants in gang activity.Laura Annie Collins, born around 1863, was identified in newspapers as a Peaky Blinder alongside her husband, Alfred J. Worrall (alias John Collins). In 1904, the Walsall Observer reported that she attacked a police constable with a hairpin during a trip to Bridgtown, Staffordshire.Nearly a decade earlier, in 1895, Emma Rowlands appeared before a Birmingham court following an altercation.The Birmingham Evening Mail described her striking a man in the eye with a belt, an act the prosecutor claimed was unprovoked, despite her insisting she acted in self-defence. A headline from July 1895 labelled her 'A Female ‘Peaky Blinder’. One of the most recognisable names from the series is William ‘Billy’ Kimber, portrayed on screen by Charlie Creed-Miles Historical records reveal that the term 'Peaky Blinders' originally referred not to a single organised crime dynasty, but to a group of violent youths operating in Birmingham The character of Alfie Solomons, was inspired by real Jewish gang leader Alfred SolomonElsewhere, in 1905, a split within the Peaky Blinders resulted in one member stabbing another. Charles Henry Allbutt was seriously injured in the attack but survived, continuing to appear in criminal records until 1910.Similarly, brothers William and James Brough, born in Birmingham in 1882 and 1884, were both associated with the Peaky Blinders. In 1905, James was arrested after drunkenly attacking a police officer, and when William and a friend, Thomas Mullis, attempted to intervene, they too were detained, according to the Birmingham Evening Mail.James Brough later served in the First World War. By 1921, he was no longer appearing in newspaper reports as a criminal.Instead, he was working as a metal polisher and living in Birmingham with his wife, Emma, and their children.The character of Alfie Solomons, played by Tom Hardy, was inspired by real Jewish gang leader Alfred Solomon. Official records list him not as a crime boss but as a ‘fruiterer’ (fruit seller) and in 1921, he was living in Westminster and described by the same trade. Tommy Shelby, who has been played by Cillian, 49, since the show's debut in 2013, will be driven back to Birmingham from his self-imposed exile Alfie Solomons was played by Tom HardyBut in 1924, Solomon was charged with the murder of bookmaker Barney Blitz at the Eden Social Club. The Daily Mirror reported that he was sentenced to three years in prison.Simon Pearce, Family History Expert at Ancestry, said: 'Peaky Blinders has captivated audiences with its gritty stories of rivalry and gang loyalty on the streets of Birmingham. 'Ancestry's real-life discoveries show just how closely the city’s history aligns with the drama on screen and some lesser known facts about the infamous gang too. 'From women actively involved in gang activity to men who served in the First World War, and others who reformed as respectable ‘fruiterers’, it’s a reminder that the most fascinating stories often lie hidden in our local and family histories, waiting to be uncovered.'The Immortal Man airs on Netflix on March 6 and will be available in cinemas
