Knight confirms the real reason the film starts in 1940

For years, the fervent fanbase of the Shelby saga has speculated on exactly how—and when—the curtain would fall on Birmingham’s most notorious family. It was never merely a question of who survives the bullet-ridden streets of Small Heath, but rather a question of historical symmetry. Steven Knight, the creator behind the phenomenon, has finally confirmed the specific temporal setting for the upcoming Peaky Blinders film, and it fulfils a chilling narrative promise made over a decade ago.

The decision to commence the film in 1940 is far from arbitrary; it serves as the closing bracket to a story that began in the muddy shadow of the Great War. Knight is bringing the narrative full circle, trading the post-traumatic stress of the trenches for the impending existential dread of the Blitz. But why 1940 specifically, rather than the outbreak of war in 1939? The answer lies in a specific atmospheric pressure that Knight believes is essential for Cillian Murphy’s final bow as Tommy Shelby.

The Architecture of a War-Torn Saga

When the first series premiered, it introduced us to men broken by the First World War, attempting to rebuild their lives in a lawless vacuum. Knight always maintained a singular vision: the story of the Peaky Blinders is the story of the interwar years. By starting the film in 1940, the narrative officially steps out of that era and into the active conflict of World War II, fundamentally altering the stakes for the Shelby enterprise.

Knight’s original blueprint was to chart the family’s journey from the first peace to the first air-raid siren. This transition marks a shift from internal gang warfare to a struggle against global tyranny, a theme hinted at with the rise of Oswald Mosley in the final television series. The film is set to capture the specific anxiety of a nation holding its breath.

The Narrative Shift: Series vs. Film

Narrative Element	The Series (1919–1933)	The Film (1940 Onwards)
Primary Threat	Local gangs, Police, Italian Mafia	Global Fascism, The Blitz, Internal Betrayal
Atmosphere	Post-War Trauma (PTSD)	Pre-Apocalyptic Tension (The Phoney War)
Tommy’s Role	The Climber (Building the Empire)	The Defender (Protecting the Legacy)
Key Soundscape	The Red Right Hand (Rock/Punk)	Air-Raid Sirens & Industrial Machinery

Understanding this timeline is crucial to grasping why the film requires a cinematic scale rather than a television format, leading us to the specific promise Knight is finally keeping.

The Promise of the Air-Raid Siren

In a recent revelation, Steven Knight confirmed, “It’s the end of the empire… I always said it would end with the air-raid sirens.” This is not just a poetic bookend; it is a mechanism to force the characters into a new psychological reality. The year 1940 places the film squarely during the end of the ‘Phoney War’ and the beginning of the Battle of Britain.

This setting allows for a specific type of storytelling known as in media res regarding the war effort. The initial shock of the declaration is over; the reality of rationing, blackouts, and the looming threat of invasion is now the daily bread of Birmingham. For a character like Tommy Shelby, who thrives on control, the uncontrollable nature of aerial bombardment presents a psychological antagonist that cannot be negotiated with or intimidated.

Diagnostic Profile: Tommy Shelby in 1940

To understand the gravity of this setting, one must analyse the psychological state of the protagonist. The transition from 1919 to 1940 represents a complete metamorphosis of the ‘Shelby Syndrome’.

Symptom / Behaviour	Underlying Cause (Diagnostic)	Likely Outcome in Film
Hyper-Vigilance	Decades of assassination attempts combined with Blitz Anxiety.	Paranoia regarding ‘The Black Cat’ (the traitor within).
Political Maneuvering	The need to secure government contracts (Spitfire production).	High-stakes negotiation with Churchill’s cabinet.
Silence/Isolation	The cumulative weight of loss (Polly, Grace, Ruby).	A solitary crusade for redemption before the bombs fall.

With the psychological stage set, the production itself has had to evolve to match this darker, more industrial tone.

Cast, Production, and the ‘New’ Birmingham

Filming for this final chapter is taking place in digbeth and other UK locations that can replicate the claustrophobic intensity of 1940s industrial Britain. The cast has expanded to include heavyweights like Rebecca Ferguson and Barry Keoghan, suggesting that the Shelby world is expanding beyond the familiar faces of Small Heath.

The inclusion of the 1940 timeline also necessitates a shift in the visual language of the piece. We are moving away from the glamour of the roaring twenties and the Art Deco of the thirties into the utility and austerity of the war years. This means darker palettes, military uniforms, and the ubiquitous presence of gas masks—a visual motif that Knight is keen to exploit.

Viewer’s Guide: What to Expect from the Finale

Category	What to Look For (Quality Indicators)	What to Avoid (Red Herrings)
Historical Accuracy	References to the Dunkirk evacuation (May/June 1940).	Expecting a direct continuation of 1934 politics without a time jump.
Character Arcs	The redemption of Arthur Shelby via military purpose.	Assuming Tommy dies simply because it is the end.
The Antagonist	Ideological battles with Mosley’s Union.	Looking for a standard ‘Gangster Villain’ trope.

As the cameras roll, the ticking clock of history adds a definitive endpoint to the Shelby timeline, ensuring that the film carries the weight of a true finale.