Filming for the sixth season of Peaky Blinders has officially finished, its director has confirmed this week.
This comes just months after crews rolled into Manchester’s Castlefield to build their set on the cobbled streets around Duke Street.
The area was left completely unrecognisable, but all too familiar for viewers of the BBC drama series, which follows the exploits of the Shelby crime family, lead by celebrated Irish actor Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby, in the direct aftermath of the First World War.
The Peaky Blinders set is starting to take shape in Castlefield.
Once again Manchester will be the location used for a big shootout scene, after previously the Northern Quarter and London Road Fire Station welcomed Thomas Shelby and co. pic.twitter.com/SHEilLk0Rg
Several wooden scaffolds, market-style props, trader signs, sacks, barrels and more were seen dotted around the area, with the Shelby’s famous ‘The Garrison’ pub being the most notable sight to viewers.
Cast members were also spotted in other North West locations while the sixth season was filmed in February, such as The Plaza in Stockport and on Formby Beach, Merseyside.
But now, it’s officially a wrap.
Castlefield transformed into Small Heath. The set of Peaky Blinders, which is being filmed in Manchester pic.twitter.com/aPIXLmW2Sp
Yesterday, director Anthony Byrne shared a picture from the set on Instagram stating that the cast and crew are ‘Done & Done & Done.’
Now this is a bittersweet achievement, because it has already been confirmed that season six will be the final chapter of the Peaky Blinders gang on TV – though creator Steven Knight has always said he wants to end the franchise with a movie.
Speaking to Men’s Health, Cillian Murphy said it will be weird to finally say goodbye to the character he’s become so well known as.
BBC
He said: “It’ll be very strange. I think probably when I stop, like a few months in, I’ll have to process the fact that I may not play him again. I’ll have to deal with that. But right now, I’m just still in it.”
He added that it’s been tough shooting the final scenes without Helen McCrory, who played Polly, the matriarch of the Shelby family.
“We’re all still deeply, deeply saddened. I’m deeply saddened and still trying to get over it. It’s hard to think of the series without her. She was so much a part of that,” he said, before adding that the whole season will be dedicated to her.
A release date for the sixth and final season is yet to be announced.