The Director’s Cut - A DGA Podcast Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man with Tom Harper and Mary Harron (Ep. 604)
Mar 20, 2026
Tom Harper, director of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man and films like The Aeronauts, shares stories about directing the film sequel. He talks about shifting from TV to a singular cinematic story. He contrasts improvisational shooting with careful prep, discusses working with Cillian Murphy, and explains collaborating closely with his composer to shape the soundtrack.
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Use Controlled Chaos To Unlock Spontaneity
- Embrace chaos in preparation to discover new ways of working.
- Harper learned by getting pages day-of, rehearsing with actors on set, and trusting an emotional through line rather than rigid plans.
Cillian Murphy's Physical Way Of Learning Lines
- Cillian Murphy resists heavily scripted methods and often learns lines connected to physical blocking and moment-to-moment action.
- Harper found Murphy's unpredictability and silent-reactive power made him ideal for Tommy's restrained, volatile presence.
Compressing Series Into One Singular Tommy Story
- The film had to be a singular Tommy Shelby story rather than the TV series' multiple-arc ensemble.
- Tom Harper explains the movie focuses on a beginning, middle, and end, turning the series' many threads into one mythic, western-tinged narrative centered on Tommy.