iWorld
Digital premiere of Sylester Stallone’s Expend4bles exclusively on Lionsgate Play
Mumbai: “I Now Pronounce You Man And Knife.” With eye-catching explosions, iconic lines and more, the celebrated Expendables promise raw, unfiltered and violent action wherever they go. The action franchise returns with Expend4bles (Expendables 4) and a newly expanded cast of Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson, Megan Fox, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Jacob Scipio, Levy Tran, and Andy Garcia. With new faces come some old ones in Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham as the group of mercenaries band together and fight for each other, and money (of course!). Bringing back the memorable action sequences, budding camaraderie and ‘never say die’ attitude, Expend4bles is all set to exclusively premiere on Lionsgate Play this 5 January.
Talking about his character Gunner, actor Dolph Lundgren said, “With Gunner, I think he’s a bit of a comedic relief because he’s the only one or one of the few characters who doesn’t care, doesn’t try to be tough. He doesn’t really care much. He has these idiosyncrasies and he always has problems, a little bit of substance abuse, a little bit of concentration issues. In this film, he’s on the wagon. So, he’s been sober for six months. He’s doing the AA program and he’s dating some girl on the Internet that he’s in love with. It clouds his perception a little bit. Also, age has caught up with him, so he’s wearing glasses and he’s got a bifocal scope on his sniper rifle. But things don’t work out that well initially for him.”
Further elaborating about his character, Lundgren said, “So, those things put together is kind of fun to play with as an actor and it gives me somewhere to go. Like in each scene I can always try to massage it so that it’s a bit entertaining for the audience and that they can follow the guy and follow the arc of the character and catch the payouts and all of these different weaknesses and obstacles that he has to accomplish his goal.”
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.
