Peaky Blinders season 4: Adrien Brody to join Cillian Murphy and Tom Hardy in gangster drama

American actor Adrien Brody has joined the cast of BBC gangster drama Peaky Blinders in a role that creator Steven Knight says he wrote specifically for him.

The 43-year-old actor, who received an Oscar for his portrayal of Polish-Jewish composer Wladyslaw Szpilmann in The Pianist, revealed his new gig by shared an Instagram of himself on set on the 1920s' era series. The snap came with the caption: "Uh oh, here's a sneaky peaky of me being cheeky... very excited to come and play with the immensely talented gang... @thepeakyblinder @BBCTwo #peakyblinders'."

In the photo, shared with his 172k followers, the 43-year-old looked dapper in a bowler hat and brown suit. With fans struggling to hold back their excitement, it didn't take long for the image to amass over 10k likes.

One commentator said:"HELL F**KING YES!!! I did not know this was going to be a thing, but I am beyond excited!"

Although it is not yet known what role Brody will play or whether the US-born Polish-Hungarian has yet mastered the Liverpudlian accent, Knight teased his appearance saying:"He genuinely was the actor in my head when I wrote the part. I'm sure he will be a formidable presence in the world of the Peaky Blinders."

The addition of Brody to the cast, which also includes Cillian Murphy, Paul Anderson, Helen McCrory and Joe Cole, comes as new details of the forthcoming series continue to emerge. Speculation is rife that the Peaky Blinders gang may be danger after Murphy's character Tommy Shelby receives a mysterious letter on Christmas Eve. While an exact date for the latest offering has yet to be announced, speculation is rife that the show might be back on screens as soon as October 2017.