The last we saw of Tommy Shelby in the explosive finale of Peaky Blinders, it was that indelible image of the gangster from Small Health riding a white horse and sandwiched between two images of burning flame on either side of the screen. That finale episode, titled Lock and Key, hit Netflix back in the summer of 2022, and it was certainly bittersweet for fans. After six seasons, Tommy had decided to live, and maybe even find some long-deserved redemption. But fans, of course, wanted more.
And it turns out they might get more after all.
By order of the Peaky Blinders, Netflix is reportedly eying spinoffs tied to several of its biggest releases — both shows and movies, including not only Peaky Blinders but also Wednesday as well as the Chris Hemsworth-led Extraction franchise. The news comes via Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw, who reports that Netflix wants to build a pipeline of content tied to its biggest projects, in order to keep those projects’ momentum going.
As far as what that could look like for the Netflix hits mentioned above? Here’s what could be coming, though the usual caveats apply — basically, nothing is ever final in TV until it’s actually on the screen in front of you.
Peaky Blinders: There are actually two potential spinoffs being looked at here. One of them would focus on Polly, the Shelby family matriarch played in the show by the late Helen McCrory. That one would be a prequel of some sort, since McCrory died in 2021. Meanwhile, the other Peaky Blinders idea Netflix is weighing includes a show tied to the same world — but set in Boston during the mid-20th century (years, in other words, after the events of the main show).
Wednesday: There’s a double-edged sword to a hit like Wednesday, which racked up in excess of 250 million views on the streamer last year. That’s one indication Netflix subscribers would love more seasons of the hit Addams Family show — more seasons, that is, than stars like Jenna Ortega are willing to make.
A spinoff that doesn’t feature all of the (highly paid) stars is one way Netflix can have its cake and eat it too. And on that score, Bloomberg reports that Netflix started considering a Wednesday spinoff before starting production on Season 2 of the original show. The idea here would be a new Wednesday show focused on the character of Fred Armisen’s Uncle Fester.
Extraction: Moving now to the film side of Netflix’s massive content library, here’s another potential spinoff in the works — and it’s perhaps even more of a no-brainer. The high-octane Extraction franchise, which has so far resulted in two Netflix feature films with a third on the way, has a fan-favorite protagonist and loads of action. So it’s probably no surprise that Netflix would want to expand this universe even beyond the potential third movie.
Details are sparse here, other than that Netflix is looking at a TV show set in the world of Extraction. But honestly, there are so many places where such a project could easily go — for example, a prequel could introduce a younger Tyler Rake and the team he works with.
Bottom line: In the finicky world of streaming entertainment, companies like Netflix will increasingly do what needs to be done to hold on to hits with both hands. And in Netflix’s case, that increasingly looks like drawing things out with a spinoff or two.
