Netflix's "Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man" marks a significant feature-length return to the world of Tommy Shelby, set in 1940, seven years after the Season 6 finale, amidst the tumultuous backdrop of World War II. Directed by Tom Harper and penned by Steven Knight, the film delves into Tommy Shelby's journey, which was envisioned to culminate in a movie set during the Second World War since the end of the first series.

Academy Award winner Cillian Murphy reprises his iconic role as Tommy Shelby, who is found in self-imposed exile, grappling with his past trauma and guilt. However, the present forces his hand when his son, Duke Shelby, portrayed by Academy Award nominee Barry Keoghan, becomes entangled with a sinister party, compelling Tommy to step back into action. The cast also features Rebecca Ferguson, Academy Award nominee Tim Roth, Sophie Rundle, and Emmy Award winner Stephen Graham.

The casting of Barry Keoghan as Duke Shelby unfolded in a rather unique way, stemming from a Father's Day text exchange between Cillian Murphy and Keoghan. Murphy confirmed that Keoghan was the first choice for the role, with everyone agreeing on his suitability. Their previous collaboration in Christopher Nolan's "Dunkirk" had established a rapport, and the need for a "special actor" who could also visually resemble a Shelby was paramount, even noting a requirement for "similar cheekbones" and looking good in a three-piece suit.

A pivotal element in the film is Tommy's act of writing a book. Cillian Murphy reflects on this as a "natural reaction" for Tommy to reach a stage in life where he reflects and attempts to make sense of his past. For the first time, Tommy has stopped moving forward, allowing "all the noise, all the trauma, all the pain, all that guilt" to rush back, making the book a form of "self-therapy." Steven Knight, the film's writer, revealed he penned "quite a few pages" – around four chapters – for this in-universe book, considering its potential publication due to its "brilliant" prose that reveals significant aspects of Tommy's backstory.

The film features an intense and "very, very Peaky" fight scene in the mud between Tommy and Duke, which served as a raw introduction to their characters. Keoghan described it as his second day of filming and his first working with Murphy on the movie, recalling how he aggressively punched the ground to get "amped up" to confront his father. Murphy noted that this explosive confrontation is their primary mode of communication, as they struggle to express their true feelings verbally, a theme that extends even to the very last scene of the film.

Tommy Shelby's conclusion in "The Immortal Man" was an integral part of Knight's vision from the outset, although an early draft did exist where he didn't die. Knight emphasized that there was "nowhere for him to go" after this point, aligning with Tommy's "equivocal relationship with death" and his "superpower" of not truly caring whether he lived or died. Ultimately, Duke Shelby is the one to bring Tommy down, which Knight describes as "quite fitting" as it symbolizes the passing on of a legacy. Director Tom Harper detailed the filming of the death scene, noting that while it involved complicated stunts, the death sequence itself was "very simple and straightforward to shoot." It evolved organically on set, with Tommy collapsing into Duke's embrace rather than merely lying on the ground, a change that felt "the only way that it could happen."

The movie's emotional final shot captures characters paying respects to a burning body from a distant hillside. Harper explained this choice as a way for the audience, though not "in the inner circle," to also "pay our respects" to a character whose conclusion carried immense weight, viewing it from a slightly removed, yet invited, perspective. Knight added that "we're invited, but we're not family."

Looking to the future, Steven Knight confirmed that a new "Peaky Blinders" spin-off series is in the works, with a "very strong thread, a cable," connecting it directly to "The Immortal Man." He also briefly commented on his current work on a James Bond project, expressing his enjoyment of the writing process, while Barry Keoghan could not confirm his involvement in the upcoming "Peaky Blinders" show.

Beyond "Peaky Blinders," Cillian Murphy confirmed his next project will be a film with Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle. Barry Keoghan also shared his "emotional" and "spiritual" experience playing Ringo Starr in Sam Mendes' upcoming Beatles biopics, learning extensively from director Mendes and cinematographer Greig Fraser, and developing a passion for photography.