Peaky Blinders season 4: Game of Thrones star Aidan Gillen joins the cast and a forgotten character returns

It follows the news that Adrien Brody is also on board

Two of the biggest shows on television collide in casting news this morning, with Game of Thrones regular Aidan Gillen (Littlefinger) signing up for season 4 of Peaky Blinders.

Deadline broke the news, though there are no details on Gillen’s character as yet. It will be interesting to see whether the Irish actor plays an Irish character, protagonist Tommy Shelby having clashed with the Irish in past seasons.

May Carleton actress Charlotte Riley is also understood to be featuring this season - an intriguing addition as she’s not been seen since season 2, when Tommy had to choose between marrying May or Grace. With Grace dead, perhaps the pair will rekindle a romance, or maybe it’ll be strictly business that causes her to return (she is a champion horse breeder who previously worked with the Shelbys)?

The Last Kingdom actress Charlie Murphy has joined the cast too, following the news that Grand Budapest Hotel actor Adrien Brody is also on board this season.

“We have a dream team gathered for series four of Peaky Blinders, coming to us for love of the series which is great,” commented show creator Steven Knight.

“Adrien Brody, Aidan Gillen and Charlie Murphy give us a wealth of talent to work with. And with Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley returning, we couldn’t have hoped for more.”

Core cast members Helen McCrory, Paul Anderson, Joe Cole, Sophie Rundle, Finn Cole, Aimee-Ffion Edwards and Kate Phillips all return for season 4, which is now filming, with an early 2018 release date expected.