Jamie Bell has made his first appearance in the world of crime and gangs, following his controversial casting in the upcoming Peaky Blinders series. The 40-year-old actor initially gained fame for his role as Billy Elliot in 2000, which earned him the distinction of being the youngest-ever recipient of the best actor Bafta.
Now, there’s no trace of dancing shoes as Jamie steps into a new role in the crime drama. The series is set 10 years after the events of the Netflix film Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. This Birmingham-based sequel will see Jamie take on the role of Duke ‘Erasmus’ Shelby, the eldest son of the ruthless gangster Tommy Shelby, played by Cillian Murphy.
Jamie replaces Barry Keoghan, who was the lead in Saltburn. Creator Steven Knight expressed his excitement about this new era of Peaky Blinders, describing the crew as ‘incredibly fortunate’ to have Jamie on board. While some loyal viewers are skeptical about someone else playing Duke again, Jamie seems to have embraced the role with ease on set.
New photos show Jamie Bell, known for his role in All of Us Strangers, sporting appropriate 50s attire. He is seen strutting around in a suave grey three-piece suit with a navy coat. For accessories, he wore leather gloves and a fedora – under which he rocked a bold new hairstyle. Upon removing his headwear, Jamie’s transformation was revealed, as he sported a sharp period style just like his predecessor.
Exact plot details are yet to be unveiled, but it is known that the story will focus on rebuilding the ‘blood-soaked’ city after World War II, with Duke at the heart of it, now older, wiser, more ambitious, and more dangerous. The set was dressed to replicate the year, with Jamie’s character arriving in a Jaguar outside a building branded ‘Shelby Construction’ this weekend, followed by an explosion. Extras were snapped in vintage clothing, with policemen also on location (in and around Digbeth Loc. Studios), suggesting there will be trouble ahead.
Additional cast members joining Jamie for the series include Charlie Heaton from Stranger Things, Jessica Brown Findlay from Downton Abbey, and Lashana Lynch from Day of the Jackal. Lucy Karczewski makes her TV debut. The identities of their characters will be revealed later down the line. More cast members are expected, as Steven Knight has promised ‘more exciting cast announcements’.
The sequel came as a surprise, given that the sixth series was thought to be the last, while the film would wrap up the story. However, an insider told The Sun that the boss, who is currently penning the screenplay for the 26th James Bond film, couldn’t resist coming back. ‘He has been hinting for a while that he wanted to do more.’
The newcomers will have to work hard to win over the already fiercely loyal audience, especially Jamie, since some have claimed the recasting will ‘break immersion’. He is the third Duke, as Conrad Khan portrayed him in the original series before Barry took over for The Immortal Man.
However, others are keen to ‘give [Jamie] a chance’, reserving verdicts until the final product hits screens. It’s unknown when that will be, but it’s unlikely to be any risk of the hype dwindling in the meantime, given how globally successful the Peaky franchise has become since launching on BBC in 2013.
The new show has been commissioned for two series, each with six 60-minute-long episodes, and it will be available to watch on BBC One and iPlayer in the UK and on Netflix outside of the UK.
