Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight wrote a new screenplay that that would star Oscar-winning actress Anne Hathaway. Director Doug Liman is also attached to the project, which is tentatively titled Lockdown.
Knight is currently not filming Peaky Blinders season 6 due to the coronavirus restrictions. However, his schedule has freed up for this new project, billed as a rom-com heist movie.
According to Deadline, Lockdown will be a pandemic-themed film set up with the restrictions that reflect reality. Production is going to take place at the end of September amid a confined environment.
This will be a more modest movie compared to Liman’s ambitious plan with Tom Cruise. The two have a future multi-million project to do a movie in actual outer space with NASA. Lockdown, on the other hand, has a budget of $10 million only.
Who’s joining Hathaway?
Since Lockdown is a romantic comedy, Hathaway will share top billing with a male co-star. Rumors are that Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy might be asked to board the movie, but negotiations are still not confirmed.
P.J. van Sandwijk and Alison Winter are producing this rom-com heist. Incidentally, Sandwijk is also helping Liman and Cruise for their big outer space film.
Updates on Peaky Blinders
Meanwhile, the sixth season of Peaky Blinders was in the middle of filming its first episode when the pandemic struck. Director Anthony Byrne told Digital Spy that they had to cancel work, and they have no plans of coming back to the set this year.
Byrne said that the cast and crew might be ready to return in early 2021, which means that the next season of the period drama could hit the small screen in 2022. Knight has until the seventh season planned for his hit series.
Knight hinted that Peaky Blinders season 6 would delve on a “supernatural element” for Murphy’s character Tommy Shelby. But Annabelle Wallis’ return as Grace Shelby is still up in the air.
The creator said that Tommy’s struggles with “ghosts” are more about his feelings.
“Tommy sometimes feels that he doesn’t [have free will] because it seems that everything is destined to stop him or move him in a particular direction. It’s the same with the whole family,” Knight said, adding that this is what Peaky Blinders season 6 will explore.
Peaky Blinders is currently streaming on Netflix. It is also on BBC One. Lockdown, on the other hand, has no theater date for now.
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