Collider’s Steve Weintraub recently sat down with Rebecca Ferguson and Tim Roth to discuss their roles in Netflix’s upcoming feature-length conclusion, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. The film, set four years after the Season 6 finale, sees Cillian Murphy’s Tommy Shelby confront new antagonists, brought to life by Ferguson and Roth. The actors delved into the creation of their characters, their motivations, and how they challenge Tommy within the 1940s world of Peaky Blinders.

Tim Roth revealed that his character, John Beckett, was not originally written as portrayed. At the request of Cillian Murphy, Roth joined the project and, during his initial meeting with director Tom Harper and writer Steven Knight, proposed a significant shift. Roth suggested making Beckett a pragmatic, working-class geography teacher – a pleasant and communicative man who, from his perspective, is trying to end the war, despite his unfortunate admiration for fascists. This approach aimed to make Beckett more relatable and capable of engaging with the Shelby family, rather than an immediately despised figure from a different class. He described his character as a “very nice guy” who happens to “love a good fascist,” a duality that creates a compelling villain.

Rebecca Ferguson’s character, on the other hand, embodies a master manipulator, pulling strings and exploiting Tommy Shelby’s vulnerabilities. She articulated that her character understands precisely when to strike, targeting Tommy when he is in a “very fragile state,” lonely, and haunted by his past. Ferguson emphasized that Steven Knight excels at creating characters with believable motives, whether selfish or for a perceived greater good, allowing antagonists to operate from their own belief systems. She also touched upon the conflict surrounding Tommy’s son, who becomes a weapon and a central point of contention, amplifying Tommy’s weakness as a parent.

Beyond Peaky Blinders, Ferguson provided exciting updates on her other high-profile projects. She confirmed that filming for the fourth and final season of Apple TV’s sci-fi series Silo had officially wrapped, with only “four more shooting days” remaining at the time of the interview. Expressing deep emotional attachment to her character, Juliette Nichols, Ferguson admitted to “emotionally grieving” the end of the series. For fans, however, Season 3 of Silo is anticipated to arrive soon, with Ferguson hinting at a potential “middle of this year” or “summer” release.

Ferguson also offered a tantalizing tease about Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts’ script for Dune: Part Three, describing it as “phenomenal.” Having not worked on a film trilogy before, she expressed her rarity in finding a series that fundamentally “keeps getting better and better.” She praised Dune one, called two a “fundamentally fantastic continuation,” and conveyed her excitement for the third installment.

The interview also included some lighthearted moments, with Ferguson and Roth discussing whether they had ever asked for an autograph (neither had, though Ferguson jokingly offered to get Cillian Murphy’s for Weintraub) and which scene from their careers they would redo. Roth reflected on changing his behavior or the work environment on earlier sets, while Ferguson pondered how her choices might have been braver or different with more maturity. Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is now showing in select theaters and will be available to stream globally on Netflix on March 20.