Peaky Blinders producers denounce Ron DeSantis for bizarre Peaky Blinders-based campaign video

Citing Cillian Murphy and series creator Steven Knight, the statement says producers "strongly disapprove of the use of the content"

By William Hughes  |  July 6, 2023 | 3:23am
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Peaky Blinders producers denounce Ron DeSantis for bizarre Peaky Blinders-based campaign video
Cillian Murphy in Peaky Blinders Photo: Robert Viglasky/Netflix

Today, in “More thinking about Peaky Blinders than we were expecting to do today” news: The producers of Netflix crime series Peaky Blinders—including star Cillian Murphy—have issued a statement denouncing Florida governor Ron DeSantis, after what appears to be an official Twitter account for his campaign retweeted a video featuring large quantities of footage taken, without permission, from the show.

The video itself doesn’t really bear going into—its basic thrust is to celebrate DeSantis for being a more sincere transphobe and homophobe than his hated Republican rival, Donald Trump—but the key factor here is that it uses a bunch of footage of “manly” male characters to illustrate its “points.” That includes Murphy’s old Batman Begins rival Christian Bale in American Psycho, Brad Pitt in Troy, and a whole bunch of random online meme fodder.

The upshot of which is that the official Twitter account for the Netflix series issued a statement tonight, writing that, “On behalf of the partners of Peaky Blinders – Steven Knight, Cillian Murphy, Caryn Mandabach Productions, Tiger Aspect Productions and Baniay Rights – we confirm the footage of Tommy Shelby’s character used within the video posted by Ron DeSantis’ campaign was obtained without permission of official license. We do not support nor endorse the video’s narrative and strongly disapprove of the use of the content in this manner.”

Peaky Blinders wrapped up with its sixth season back in 2022; producers are reportedly still working on the development of a finale movie that will wrap up the series, and the story of Murphy’s character, Tommy Shelby—a process that would presumably go more smoothly if they weren’t being forced to issue statements like the above because the DeSantis campaign seems to believe that nothing says “American values” like a violent and ambitious Irish gangster (and one of the guys from Troy).

[via Rolling Stone]

 
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