Before donning the round glasses and pink boa of Elton John, Tom Hardy will make a quick pit stop in early 20th-century England. The British actor has signed on to join the second season of the BBC2 period drama Peaky Blinders. The show follows a real-life gang who sewed razor blades into the peaks of their caps, then stirred up trouble in Birmingham, England after the First World War. They were called “Peaky Blinders” both because of their unusual choice of weapon, and because everything in England is slightly more adorable than in America.
Cillian Murphy will return as Tommy Shelby, the shows’ protagonist and head of the gang. According to Deadline, Hardy will play a “charismatic leader” who presents a “unique opportunity” to Murphy’s character. The duo both played villains in Nolan’s Batman franchise and co-starred in Inception, but they’ll now face-off in weaponized hats and stylish cravats. (Which, come to think of it, sounds like something Elton John might do too.)
The trailer for the show’s first season is below.