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John Brayat Birmingham Symphony Hall
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Cillian Murphy, Rebecca Ferguson and Tim Roth were greeted by banks of photographers and hundreds of fans at the premiere at Symphony Hall
In its 35-year history, Birmingham's Symphony Hall will surely have experienced few nights like this.
An explosion of Brummie pride on a night of epic cinema drama.
By order of the Peaky Blinders.
An evening to celebrate a Birmingham Knight and an actor from Cork, who will forever be Tommy Shelby.
Stephen Knight and Cillian Murphy took centre stage before the world premiere of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.
The ovations were strong and heartfelt, the mutual appreciation, well, blindingly obvious.
"You've got someone who is amazing," said Knight of Murphy.
"A writer at the top of his game," said Murphy of Knight.
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Steven Knight, complete with flat cap, joined Cillian Murphy and director Tom Harper on the red carpet before the screening
Two hours later, another unprompted ovation. As the film credits rolled, sustained applause and cheers filled Symphony Hall.
"Netflix tell me something like two billion people are going to be watching this and the first thing they see is Birmingham in the caption," said the Peaky Blinders writer and creator.
On a night of cheers, this prompted the biggest.
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Since 2013, Cillian Murphy has played the leader of one of the Birmingham's most feared criminal organisations. The first episode transported viewers back to 1919
Murphy, who delighted fans with a walkabout in Centenary Square on his arrival at Symphony Hall, paid tribute to the viewers who helped catapult Peaky Blinders into a worldwide hit.
"I just feel a load of gratitude, immense gratitude to the fans first and foremost for making the show what it was," he said.
"Because it was a little show on BBC Two on Sunday evenings and then gradually and incrementally it became this global phenomenon that was down to the fans.
"So I feel immense gratitude."
Paying tribute to Knight, Murphy added: "To have that level of writing for that length of time, you know, it's a once in a lifetime freak occurrence to meet a writer at the top of his game like that."
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Happy to be here, actor Packy Lee, who plays Johnny Dogs in Peaky Blinders
Film director Tom Harper said Peaky Blinders fans were "the engine that has driven us to this point".
And Netflix executive Anne Mensah said Peaky Blinders had become a "really global phenomenon from the genius hand of Steven Knight".
She said since 2013 it had had "an incredible impact on pop culture" and described The Immortal Man as "epic and totally unforgettable".
The film sees Oscar winner Murphy reprising his role as gang leader Tommy Shelby who is depicted returning to the city during World War Two.
It will be shown in selected cinemas from Friday for two weeks, and will then stream on Netflix from 20 March.
