Peaky Blinders filming 'exciting' for city - fans

The filming of a new Peaky Blinders movie on the streets of Bradford has been welcomed as "exciting" by people in the city.

Steven Knight, the creator of the hit TV series, is at the helm for the new film, with Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy set to reprise his role as Birmingham gangster Tommy Shelby.

Shooting is currently under way in the Little Germany area of Bradford, which is regularly the backdrop for filming due to its historic architecture and listed buildings.

Peaky Blinders fan Ish Garda, 38, who works in the nearby Broadway shopping centre, said the filming was a "good thing and brings in excitement for the area".

Mr Garda said he was "hoping to meet one of the stars" of the show who were currently in Bradford, adding that he particularly fancied bumping into "Mr Shelby, definitely".

The hugely successful TV show, which ran from 2013 to 2022, followed the escapades of a Birmingham crime gang in the years after World War One.

Its six-series run was shot at locations across the UK, including at Dalton Mills in Keighley, elsewhere in the Bradford district.

Danny Ferdinand, 57, from Bradford, said Peaky Blinders' return to the area for filming of the new movie was a welcome development.

"I know Little Germany has been used a lot for filming over the past 10-15 years. It's a great area," he said.

"Little Germany is underrated and it's not very busy, so for film sets it's brilliant. Bring it on, really. Why not?"

Meanwhile, Sam Hadley, 46, another Bradford resident, said: "It's quite exciting, because it is something so high profile.

"Obviously they do a lot of filming around here and we've seen quite a lot, but not this kind of high profile where it's been secreted off, which is exciting, really.

"I think it's good for Bradford because it shows we've got this positive thing going on."

Ms Hadley said the Little Germany area of the city was "just fantastic".

"It's good that it can be used and shown off," she said.

Ms Hadley, who admitted being a big fan of the show, said she could not wait for more Peaky Blinders, particularly as the new movie would feature her home city.

"I've watched all the series and I'm looking forward to the film coming out. These are definitely exciting times for Bradford," she said.

Peaky Blinders is the second major movie to be filmed in Bradford in recent months.

The city's disused Richard Dunn Sports Centre was used to shoot parts of Danny Boyle's 28 Years Later last month.

City resident Sheraz Ahmed, 37, said seeing such activity in Bradford could show young people anything was possible.

"Filming in Bradford shows we are developing and moving forward," he said.

"It encourages youngsters to get into acting, into theatre or films."

Throughout its run, Peaky Blinders won a host of awards, including National Television Awards and a Bafta for best drama series in 2018.

Announcing the film earlier this year, Steven Knight promised it would leave "no holds barred".

"It will be an explosive chapter in the Peaky Blinders story. Full-on Peaky Blinders at war," he told the PA news agency.

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