In Birmingham’s historic Digbeth district, a new chapter in British television and film history is taking shape. The area that once symbolized the gritty industrial roots of the city has now become the center of an ambitious cinematic project led by writer and creator Steven Knight. With the construction of Digbeth Loc Studios, a massive $35 million production hub, Knight has effectively brought the Shelby legacy back to the streets that inspired it.
For fans of Peaky Blinders, the return to Birmingham carries symbolic weight. The series, which followed the rise of the Shelby crime family in the aftermath of World War I, began as a relatively modest television drama. Over time, however, it evolved into a global phenomenon, reaching audiences in dozens of countries and turning its characters—especially Tommy Shelby—into cultural icons.
Now, with the upcoming 2026 film The Immortal Man, the story is expanding beyond television into a full-scale cinematic experience. Digbeth Loc Studios has become the heart of that transformation.
The facility was designed specifically to recreate the harsh, war-scarred landscape of 1940s Britain. Massive outdoor sets replicate bombed-out streets, crumbling brick buildings, and shadow-filled alleyways that capture the chaos of World War II–era Birmingham. Production designers worked with historical references to ensure every detail—from street signage to building facades—feels authentic to the period.
Walking through the sets reportedly feels like stepping directly into history. Damaged storefronts, shattered windows, and smoke-stained walls reflect the aftermath of wartime bombings that reshaped British cities during the 1940s. The immersive environment allows actors to fully inhabit the world of the story rather than relying heavily on digital effects.
For Cillian Murphy, who returns to portray Tommy Shelby in the film, the new studio offers a deeper connection to the character’s origins. After years of filming the series in various locations across the United Kingdom, stepping onto purpose-built streets designed specifically for the Shelby universe reportedly created a powerful sense of continuity.
The scale of the production is also far larger than anything seen in the original series. While Peaky Blinders was praised for its visual style and atmosphere, The Immortal Man aims to elevate those elements to cinematic proportions. Large-scale action sequences, wartime settings, and expanded storytelling promise to push the Shelby saga into new territory.
One of the most intriguing details surrounding the project is the secrecy surrounding the film’s script. According to reports from the production team, the final screenplay has been kept under strict security measures. Inside the studio complex, a locked vault reportedly stores the highly guarded script, accessible only to key members of the production.
This level of secrecy reflects how carefully the creators are protecting the final chapter of the Shelby story. After nearly a decade of global popularity, the film carries enormous expectations from fans eager to see how Tommy Shelby’s journey ultimately unfolds.
Beyond the film itself, Digbeth Loc Studios represents something even bigger for Birmingham. The project has injected new energy into the city’s growing film industry, attracting international attention and creating jobs for local crew members, designers, and technicians.
Steven Knight has long spoken about his desire to ensure that the success of Peaky Blinders benefits the city that inspired it. By building a major production facility in Digbeth, he has turned that vision into reality.
In many ways, the studio stands as a monument to the unexpected journey of the Shelby story. What began as a gritty drama about a street gang in postwar Birmingham has grown into a global cultural phenomenon and now a major cinematic event.
As the cameras roll for The Immortal Man, the Shelby empire has returned to where it all began—among the brick streets and industrial shadows of Birmingham—only now on a scale that reflects just how far the story has traveled.