The First Images From 'A Thousand Blows' Take Us Into the World of Victorian Boxing
Erin Doherty in "A Thousand Blows"
(Photo: Hulu)
Steven Knight's wildly popular Peaky Blinders changed the period drama genre, adding gritty realism and unapologetic violence to the world of a Birmingham gang family's rise to power in 1920s England. The show was so successful it ran for six seasons and has spawned a feature film that's slated to start filming later this year. Now, Knight is hoping to do the same for the world of illegal Victorian boxing with his next series, A Thousand Blows. The Hulu drama is set in 1880s London and follows the story of two friends from Jamaica who find themselves drawn into the violent world of East London's underground bare-knuckle boxing scene.
Malachi Kirby (Wicked Little Letters) stars as Hezekiah Moskow, an immigrant whose success in the ring draws him into a dangerous rivalry with a veteran boxer named Sugar Goodson. Hezekiah's skills will also apparently catch the eye of international thief Mary Carr, the leader of the infamous girl gang The Forty Elephants, whose members were known for their skill in shoplifting and fencing stolen items.
Hulu has released a trio of first-look photos from the upcoming drama, which show off three of the series' main characters: Kirby's somewhat wide-eyed Hezekiah, Stephen Graham's (Bodies) grizzled prizefighter Sugar, and Erin Doherty's (The Crown) colorful thief Carr. The atmosphere of the images feels like peak Steven Knight, and though the series is set a few decades earlier than Peaky Blinders, none of these characters look as though they'd be out of place in that series' Birmingham. (Take from that what you will.)
Stephen Graham in "A Thousand Blows"
(Photo: Hulu)
Alongside Graham, Kirby, and Doherty, the series’ main ensemble also features Francis Lovehall (Criminal Record) as Hezekiah’s best friend, Alec Munroe, Jason Tobin (Warrior) as Mr Lao, and James Nelson-Joyce (The Gold) as Edward “Treacle” Goodson. The women who will comprise Mary Carr’s girl gang, The Forty Elephants, include Hannah Walters (Time) as Eliza Moody, Darci Shaw (The Irregulars) as Alice Diamond, Nadia Albina (Doctor Who) as Verity Ross, Jemma Carlton (The Cleaner) as Belle Downer, Caoilfhionn Dunne (Industry) as Anne Glover, and newcomer Morgan Hilaire as Esme Long.
Other notable cast members are Susan Lynch (The Change) as Jane Carr, Daniel Mays (The Long Shadow) as William ‘Punch’ Lewis, Adam Nagaitis (The Responder) as the Earl of Lonsdale, Gary Lewis (Vigil) as Jack Mac, Tom Davis (W1A) as Charlie Mitchell, and Robert Glenister (Sherwood) as Indigo Jeremy.
Malachi Kirby in "A Thousand Blows"
(Photo: Hulu)
“The love and care that went into this thrilling production is evident on screen from the first moment," Knight said in a statement. "What makes the story we tell all the more compelling is that it is based on the lives of real people who lived extraordinary lives in extraordinary times.”
Knight is the lead writer for the series, with episodes also written by a group of new voices, including Ameir Brown, Insook Chappell, Harlan Davies, and Yasmin Joseph. Knight is also an executive producer alongside Graham and Hannah Waters for Matriarch Productions, Damian Keogh and Kate Lewis for The Story Collective, Tom Miller and Sam Myer for Water & Power Productions, and Lee Mason for Disney+. Award-winning broadcaster and historian David Olusoga is also an executive producer, with Tom Miller as Series Producer and Barrington Robinson and Jo Johnson as producers.
A Thousand Blows doesn't yet have a premiere date, but the series is expected to air on Disney+ in the U.K., Hulu in the U.S., and select other countries in 2025.
