Don’t write Peaky Blinders off — Annabelle Wallis eyeing a comeback before the Netflix sequel

Right, for anyone who thought the Peaky Blinders story was properly done and dusted, think again. The franchise is ramping up for a whole new era – and yes, it genuinely is moving the Shelbys on to the next generation. The official title’s still under wraps, but what we know is that it’s not just some spin-off on the side: we’re getting a proper sequel series and, naturally, everyone’s speculating about which old favourites might make some sort of comeback. Top of that list? Grace Shelby.

Now, full credit: Annabelle Wallis recently broke her silence about a possible return after her character’s rather definitive on-screen demise. Grace may have only been around for a couple of series, but let’s be honest, she was always the emotional glue – not to mention Tommy’s main reason for wanting more than just a life of organised crime. Even five years after her death, the original series was still feeding those ghostly hallucinations of Grace, and with her son Charles Shelby apparently front-and-centre in this new chapter, the door’s far from shut on seeing her again in some form.

Speaking to MovieWeb, Wallis said of a possible comeback: "I bumped into Joe Cole and Finn Cole, the OG Shelby boys, and we were just reminiscing. It was such a fun (series), incredibly written. It's just one of those kind of magical moments where everything comes together perfectly. And the audience responded. So yeah, who knows?"

Of course, none of this is simply down to Wallis. She pointed out it’s really on Steven Knight, the show’s creator and all-round ringmaster. If you’ve followed the series, you’ll remember the flashbacks – mostly recycled clips, except for that unexpected scene in Series 5 when Knight actually had Wallis back on set for a fresh Grace moment as Tommy’s hallucination. So it’s not utterly beyond reason that history could repeat itself.

Wallis herself summed it up in a way only a Peaky veteran can. She said the whole thing has a life of its own by now, calling it a 'web of life that can go on forever.' She’s still dead chuffed people care enough to want more after all these years, though she stressed that, creatively, Knight has always driven the story's big swings.

Where the Shelbys Are Headed

On the bigger picture: Knight hasn’t exactly kept his ambitions secret. What he set up with the recent film, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, was meant as Tommy Shelby’s closing act – but explicitly as a bridge to this new show. The timeline for the sequel has moved us to 1953. Young Charles Shelby is stepping out of his father’s shadow, along with Tommy’s other son Duke, and if you’re wondering what they’re getting up to: it’s cashing in on the wide-open opportunities in postwar, rebuilt Birmingham. Shame for the lads that fresh threats are cropping up, which, let’s be honest, would hardly be Peaky Blinders without a new crop of ruthless rivals turning up.

The next generation takeover kicks off in 1953, as the Shelbys plot their play in a Birmingham still finding its feet after WWII.

• The new series stars Duke and Charles Shelby taking the lead, centering on their push for Shelby family dominance in a very changed cityscape.
• Grace’s possible return is hanging tantalisingly in the balance, but totally reliant on Steven Knight’s master plan – Wallis is game, if asked.
• Flashbacks or full-on dreams? If Grace resurfaces, Knight’s track record means it could be either – or something stranger.
• A proper sequel, not just an epilogue: The Immortal Man film was always meant to tee up this continuation, according to Knight.