Summary

Live Reporting

Written by Chloe Hughes and Vanessa Pearce, edited by John Newton

  1. 'You can't separate Peaky Blinders from Birmingham' - Cillian Murphy

    James Bovill
    West Midlands

    I've just spoken to the star of the show Cillian Murphy who told me "it's amazing to be in Birmingham, and to bring [Peaky Blinders] back after all these years".

    Cillian MurphyPA Media

    It was important for the premiere to be in the city, Murphy added.

    "It's important for the fans, it's important for [Steven Knight], I think it was very important.

    "Steve has written it from stories he was told by his parents growing up here... it's huge, you can't separate the two."

  2. Cillian Murphy poses for selfies

    John Bray
    BBC News

    And here he is, Tommy Shelby himself...

    The movie's lead, Oscar winner Cillian Murphy, has arrived on the red carpet in Birmingham, and delighted fans by posing for selfies and signing autographs.

    He was then led to a photo call before a bank of photographers.

    A woman with ginger hair and a brown fur is holding out a black phone and Cillian Murphy is in a brown shirt and black suit jacket, posing with herPA Media

    Guests inside Symphony Hall were pointed in the direction of the Garrison Bar - named for one night after the Shelbys' beloved boozer.

    A room full of people with brown wooden floors and an upstairs balcony area. People are dressed like Peaky Blinders with flat caps and suits on, as well as sparkly dresses

  3. Steven Knight and Tom Harper walk the carpet

    Chloe Hughes
    West Midlands

    Two of the most instrumental people behind the film have arrived - writer Steven Knight and director Tom Harper.

    We really do love how everyone looks the part - it makes it feel like so much more than a film premiere.

    It's an experience, one that transports you to the world of the Peaky Blinders.

    A man with grey hair is wearing a grey flat cap and a black whist and suit jacket with a red and silver neck scarf. He is standing in front of a gold backgroundReuters
    A man with brown hair is in an all black suit. He is standing in front of a gold film premiere background with black writing that reads "peakyblinders the immortal man"Reuters

  4. Rebecca Ferguson and Tim Roth arrive

    James Bovill
    West Midlands

    Rebecca Ferguson and Tim Roth have arrived on the red carpet!

    They both play new characters in the Peaky Blinders universe - Ferguson takes on the role of Kaulo, while Roth plays Beckett.

    A woman with long blonde hair in a plait on a red carpet in front of a gold background with words saying "peaky blinders the immortal man". she wears a long gold gown
    A man in a black suit and t-shirt speaking to journalists who are holding onto microphones. There is a large sign that reads "peaky blinders" and a red carpet

  5. Producer on the red carpet

    Producer Patrick Holland has also landed on the red carpet.

    The excitement continues to build...

    Patrick HollandPA Media

  6. Stars start to arrive

    Here we go... we have the first of the Peaky stars to arrive!

    Packy Lee has had a recurring role in the drama as the character Johnny Dogs.

    Packy LeePA Media

  7. Siblings hoping for a seat inside premiere

    Josh Sandiford
    BBC News, West Midlands

    Siblings Kayn and Darianne Baxter are at the red carpet together - they applied to attend the actual screening and say they are waiting to hear whether they will get to watch it.

    Kayn has been a big fan since the start of the series, however his sister has never seen an episode.

    A young man and woman. The man has light brown hair swept to the side and is wearing a black suit jacket, tie and waistcoat and a white shirt. The woman has long red hair, a blush pink dress and black jacket

    "It’s nice to have something in Birmingham for once, we’re the second city and we don’t really get much of a look in so it’s nice to have something that’s ours," Kayn said.

    "After the [death of Ozzy Osbourne], I think Birmingham's getting put on the map a bit."

    Darianne added: "It's quite cool to be honest, it's definitely different.

    "It’ll bring more people to the city as well.

    "This bit [of Birmingham] is usually quite quiet so its nice to see it so busy."

  8. Fans clamouring to see big names

    James Bovill
    West Midlands

    Katie from Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire, is hoping to stand out with her sequin top as she looks to grab some autographs from the stars.

    "It's amazing, I've never been to anything like this, it's a complete first time for me - but I'm looking forward to it," she said.

    A woman with short curly bright red hair and a black sequin jacket

    "I absolutely love the show, probably a little too much," she added. "I work in the museums [where some of the production was done] actually, so it's really nice to say 'wow, I've worked over there'."

    She said: "I'm really looking forward to seeing Cillian Murphy as he's the main guy. I think everyone here wants to see him."

    A man with a grey flat cap, tinted glasses, a white shirt, black tie and waistcoat and a black jacket

    Dave from Kidderminster, who is dressed in a signature Peaky Blinders cap, is also a fan of the series, who said: "I love the cast, Lesley Graham, you know, Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, all of them basically. It's nice to see them."

    He said the series had done a lot for the area.

    "Not just Birmingham, but the Black Country as a whole. From the Black Country Museum, to being filmed around various areas, its been really good for the whole of the Midlands."

  9. 'Everybody's making an effort to get dressed up'

    Josh Sandiford
    BBC News, West Midlands

    This man not only looks the part but sounds it too - and his name? Arthur Cocker. That's a Peaky Blinders name if I've ever heard one.

    "I’m wearing a two-piece suit with obviously the watch, the traditional chain, and the tie pin," said the 55-year-old Peaky fan from Birmingham who's in line to get a glimpse of the cast later.

    A man wearing a black flat cap, two piece suit with a gold chain on the waistcoat and a brown and green scarf. He has his hands in his pockets and a wide stance. He is standing in front of metal barriers

    "I think [the show] brings Birmingham on the map… the new series is getting filmed here now, and from this evening, people who pass us by are going to want to watch Peaky Blinders."

    He added: "Everybody's making an effort to get dressed for the occasion.

    "People just want to be part of the culture of the Peaky Blinders and the history."

  10. Fan costumes show dedication to series

    James Bovill
    West Midlands

    Ok, we're getting ever closer to premiere time.... Let's head back to Symphony Hall in the heart of Birmingham where Peaky Blinders will make its big screen debut.

    Clair McManus, Susan McManus, Lisa Turner, and Elisha Guiney are there and have all dressed for the occasion.

    Four women are posing for a photo together at the film premiere. On the far left the woman is blonde with a red and black dress with sequin detailing and a black sequin and feather headband. Next to her a woman has brown hair tied back and a black dress with swirl pattern detailing. To her right is a woman with brown hair tied back, a blue and black sequin dress and a blue feather headband. On the far right is a woman with black hair, glasses and a black dress with a red fur jacket

    Clair McManus said they got into the clobber as they loved the series, "and we thought we'd celebrate it, so here we are".

    "We've come for a good night out and we're just pleased to be here."

    "It's our first premiere as well," added Lisa Turner.

    "I love it because it's about Birmingham and I love Birmingham, and of course Cillian Murphy helps as well."

  11. 'But I can see Tommy Shelby'

    Now... when we, or Knight, as he did a moment ago, say Birmingham is a key player in the film, it doesn't mean the net wasn't cast that bit further in the wider West Midlands region.

    Also in play was tourist attraction the Black Country Living Museum in nearby Dudley, which recreates the bostin' and the not-so-bostin' of a bygone era.

    Staff there were sworn to secrecy about the plot.

    "We've not been able to say what it was," said chief executive Andrew Lovett.

    Cillian MurphyNetflix

    "People would say to me 'but I can see Tommy Shelby over there'," he said, "and I'm like, 'can you really'?

    "That's what it's been like."

    The museum, about 12 miles away from the Shelbys' home city, has also been used for shoots on all five TV series.

  12. By order of the people

    Let's stay on track with more from the unveiling of a tram named after Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.

    You can catch up with what went on here and here.

    During the formalities earlier, Birmingham poet Bradley Taylor was on hand to share the verse he was commissioned to write for the occasion.

    Bradley Taylor

    His poem, By Order of the People, "celebrates Peaky Blinders, it celebrates Birmingham," he said.

    "And to have cause to celebrate the work of one of our greatest artists Mr Steven Knight," he added.

  13. 'One of the stars of the film is Birmingham'

    Kate Baldock

    Creator and writer of Peaky Blinders Steven Knight has explained the inspiration behind the film, set during WW2, and why Birmingham had to have a lead role.

    A still from the film showing an explosion with people runningNetflix

    "Set it in the Birmingham blitz - not many people know Birmingham was so heavily bombed.

    "Just to reflect what the city went through was important.

    "One of the stars of the film is Birmingham and for the first time we shot everything here. Previously we've shot in the north, Leeds and Manchester and places, this time I was adamant we had to do it here."

    Knight also offered a little bit more about the plot...

    "Part of the reason for the story is in the Second World War, the Germans forged £320m worth of fake currency and wanted to flood the economy with it and destroy the country that way," he said.

    "And it nearly worked, so I've used that as a jumping off place."

  14. City takes on a WW2 feel for premiere

    James Bovill
    West Midlands

    There's plenty of theming in Birmingham today as the Peaky Blinders movie makes its formal debut at Symphony Hall later.

    The props set a World War Two feel, with the film telling the story of how the Shelbys are getting on as the conflict reaches their city.

    Peaky Blinders flaming logo outside Symphony Hall

    Sandbags and rubble symbolise the air raid at the start of the movie, and there is a giant logo that is set to go up in flames.

    Rubble next to the Peaky Blinders red carpet

  15. 'I never thought I'd be a tram'

    We told you earlier about an unusual accolade for Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight - a Birmingham tram has been named after him in recognition of his internationally-renowned drama that has raised the profile of the city.

    Here's Knight taking a closer look at the public transport bearing his name.

    "I never thought I'd be a tram," he said.

    Steven Knight crouching next to his namePA Media

    "It's quite surreal," he said, "especially because where we are now I used to walk to work and this was full of cars and buses.

    "It's a real honour," he added.

    Stephen Knight standing next to a Peaky Blinders-themed tramPA Media

  16. 'The fans have been the energy'

    Steven Knight has been talking about this evening's premiere and how Peaky Blinders' fans have been a driving force behind the drama's success.

    Steven Knight stands in front of a picture of Cillian MurphyPA Media

    "I'm really looking forward to tonight," he said.

    "The thing with Peaky is that people do tend to watch it on their own or in their house but this is a chance for people to watch it together."

    He added, "The fans have been like the energy for the show from the very beginning. It was never really pushed or promoted, or advertised much. It was the fans who discovered it and then talked to each other about it."

  17. The Peaky Blinders effect

    Ed James
    BBC Radio WM

    Let's take a look now at what's been called the Peaky Blinders effect - a surge in recognition for Birmingham since the show's debut.

    The show was in 2021 crowned the most popular Netflix series in the world, the streaming platform being the international host to Peaky Blinders which is broadcast on the BBC domestically.

    And it would appear that this kind of audience has rubbed off on the city where the saga is set.

    Martin Simms from Production Central West Midlands says the city is seeing benefits.

    Martin Simms has short black hair and is standing on a stage at a podium with a black microphone to his mouth. He is wearing a black top with a beige suit jacket. There is a screen behind him with a photo of him on it, and it reads "Martin Simms, head of production central"Production Central West Midlands

    "Just from the film being in the region alone, when they were filming, there was a million pound economic spend which went to the local supply chain, the hospitality industry… local job opportunities created as a result of that," he said.

    "We’ve seen a 19% increase of international visitors and if we look at just the US alone, we’ve seen a 50% increase of US visitors that have come as a result of [Peaky Blinders]."

    He said there were "interesting things to come, and hinted that Steven Knight had got some "great plans" himself.

    "You’ve got drinks and food named after Peaky Blinders slogans and all the rest, I think that now presents a real strong opportunity that we need to take a hold of."

  18. What's next for Peaky Blinders?

    Although a feature film may feel like a final hurrah for the world of Peaky Blinders, it's not the last time you'll see the Shelby family on screen.

    Last year, the BBC and Netflix announced there will be two new series, following a new generation of Shelbys.

    Stephen Knight wears a peaky cap, brown jacket and white shirtNetflix

    If the cap fits..... Peaky Blinders creator and writer Steven Knight

    Set in the 1950s, the timeline of the sequel will pick up after the events that ensue in the new film, The Immortal Man.

    All we know of the plot so far is that after being heavily bombed in World War Two, Birmingham is building a better future out of concrete and steel.

    But the race to own Birmingham’s massive reconstruction project becomes a brutal contest. This is a city of unprecedented opportunity and danger, with the Shelby family right at its blood-soaked heart.

    Both series will have six episodes, each an hour long - they'll be produced for BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK and for Netflix globally.

    Steven Knight will return as writer and creator, with Cillian Murphy among the executive producers.

  19. Early review from our man on the inside

    James Bovill
    West Midlands

    I was lucky enough to see the film at a special screening this afternoon - and fans of Peaky Blinders certainly won't be disappointed by this bigger, bolder and at times darker continuation of the hit show.

    Tommy Shelby has grey and brown hair which sweeps to the side. He is wearing a suit jacket with a white shirt in a dimly lit room. He has a crescent shaped cut on his cheek with dried blood on it. On a wall next to him is a gold mirror with a hanging lamp which illuminates Shelby's face in a soft yellow glow.Netflix

    We join Tommy Shelby in 1940, six years or so after the last series ended, as German bombs rain down on Birmingham.

    Reclusive and still haunted by his past, Cillian Murphy's Shelby is driven back from self-imposed exile for an epic battle over the future of his family and the country.

    His son Duke - in a role Barry Keoghan seems born to play - must decide between family and infamy.

    It all concludes with a breathless finale featuring British acting royalty Tim Roth and Stephen Graham and tour de force performances from Keoghan and Murphy.

    This is a film, like the show, firmly rooted in Birmingham, and all the better for filming in the city and at creator Steven Knight's new Digbeth Loc studios.

    I loved it, and fans no doubt will too.

  20. The sinister sound of Peaky Blinders

    Ok, let's come away from trams and bulls for a while and get back to all things red carpet...

    We're expecting Fontaines DC frontman Grian Chatten on the red carpet later - he's recorded a track called Puppet for the film, which can be heard on the film's trailer.

    Grian Chatten

    Chatten told BBC Radio 1's Jack Saunders that he had to resist the urge to shave his head "Peaky-style" during the recording process.

    "I got the joy of watching a lot of the scenes over and over again, and it's a wonderfully layered piece of work," he said.

    "There's an awful lot of inspiration to bounce back off. It's a really interesting thing to try and not spoil or kind of over narrate the scene, and allow the pictures to speak for themselves - which is the magic of cinema."