iWorld
Warner Bros, arvato unveils P2P digital download service for Germany
MUMBAI: Movie studio Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group teams with Bertelsmann mobile arm arvato to launch In2Movies. This initiative offers movie and TV downloads to consumers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland using a peer-to-peer (P2P) network.
The In2Movies is expected to launch in March and with this, Warner and arvato plan to make movies available on the P2P download service on the same day as the German DVD release appears.
This joint venture comes after recent efforts by movie studios and the Motion Picture Association of America to stamp out the illegal file sharing of content over the Internet using P2P technology like BitTorrent and eDonkey. P2P networks have been blamed for rampant online piracy around the world and have been targeted by the music industry in a series of high-profile lawsuits.
The service will have more than 80 Warner Bros. films, new releases, library titles and local productions, including Batman Begins, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and Must Love Dogs, along with TV shows such as The O.C. and Friends.
In2Movies will also feature entertainment programming from local distributors and third-party content providers. The initial rollout will deliver content to computers. Eventually, the service will expand its service, allowing downloads to DVD recorders and other portable devices.
Customers will be able to download the movies and TV shows directly from the In2Movies web site, as well as from retail partner sites, or via a click-through from other sites. Warner and arvato see it as a way for DVD retailers to get into the movie download business.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group president Kevin Tsujihara said.”Through this partnership with arvato mobile, Warner Bros. will be breaking new ground in legal digital delivery, providing a rich experience at affordable prices. One of the most effective weapons for defeating online piracy is providing legal, easy to use alternatives. Warner Bros. continues its role as an industry leader by expanding the reach of its digital content through this extremely innovative platform. Our initial efforts will focus on the German market but in the months ahead we will leverage this technology to better serve markets around the world.”
The In2Movies service is using technology from GNAB, which combines a centralized download platform for protecting copyrights and licensee requirements, with a decentralized P2P network that makes it easier to distribute large files like movies without bogging down the server.
arvato mobile chief executive Bernhard Ribbrock said, “Consumers are seeking new channels for finding authorized entertainment.”
It also may eventually offer added content, such as the featurettes that are usually packaged with movies and TV shows on DVD. The downloads will be priced at different levels depending on how new the content is, whether it’s a movie or TV show, and other factors.
iWorld
Why Peaky Blinders is one of television’s biggest hits that still deserves more attention
Six seasons, multiple awards and the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man bring the Shelby saga back into the spotlight
In the crowded universe of streaming content, only a handful of shows manage to leave a lasting cultural footprint. Peaky Blinders is overwhelmingly considered one of the biggest global hits of the past decade. Yet many viewers still haven’t fully explored the dark, gripping world of the Shelby family.
Originally produced for the UK’s BBC and later finding a massive global audience through Netflix, the series quietly grew from a British period drama into a worldwide streaming phenomenon.
Created by Steven Knight, the show follows the rise of the Shelby crime family in post-First World War Birmingham. What begins as a gritty street-gang story gradually expands into a sweeping narrative about ambition, politics, power and survival.
At the centre of the saga is Thomas Shelby, portrayed with extraordinary depth by Cillian Murphy. The casting of Murphy is widely regarded as perfect for the role. With piercing eyes, restrained dialogue and an almost hypnotic screen presence, he transforms Shelby into one of the most unforgettable characters in modern screen storytelling.
Murphy’s brilliance lies in his restraint. He rarely shouts or performs theatrically. Instead, a quiet stare, a calculated pause or a subtle shift in expression conveys the emotional storms within the character. Beneath the ruthless gang leader is a war veteran carrying trauma, guilt and loneliness. Murphy captures this complexity with remarkable precision, making Thomas Shelby both terrifying and deeply human.
Beyond its central performance, Peaky Blinders stands out for its unfiltered portrayal of reality. The show does not romanticise crime. Instead, it exposes the harsh social conditions of early 20th-century Britain, from poverty and class struggle to political extremism and the psychological scars left by war.
The series also presents powerful female characters who hold their own within the Shelby empire. Polly Gray, played by Helen McCrory, is the strategic backbone of the family and one of the most formidable figures in the story. Women in the series shape decisions, influence power structures and challenge the rigid social norms of the time.
Across six seasons, the narrative grows dramatically in scale. What begins in the smoky streets of Birmingham evolves into a story involving political conspiracies, fascism and international criminal networks.
The series has also earned significant critical acclaim. It won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2018 and multiple National Television Awards for Best Drama, cementing its reputation as one of Britain’s most celebrated modern shows.
Another defining feature of the series is its iconic music. The show’s opening theme, Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, became instantly recognisable and widely associated with the Shelby universe. Combined with a powerful soundtrack featuring artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, the music helped shape the show’s dark, stylish identity and became hugely popular among fans.
And the Shelby story is not over yet.
In fact, its legacy is unfolding right now. The long-awaited feature-length continuation, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, was released on March 6, 2026, bringing the Shelby universe from streaming screens to cinemas and giving fans a new chapter in the saga.
For viewers who have not yet stepped into this world, the timing could not be better.
Six gripping seasons are ready to binge on Netflix. A new film has just arrived in theatres. And at the heart of it all stands one of the most magnetic performances in modern drama by Cillian Murphy.
So if Peaky Blinders has been sitting on your watchlist for years, this weekend is your moment.
So, by order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, consider this your cue to finally step into the ruthless world of Thomas Shelby. Pour yourself a drink, clear your schedule and press the play button. Because when the Peaky Blinders give an order, you listen.
