Peaky Blinders writer Steven Knight has said major plans for six film studios in Birmingham could also pressure Channel 4 to move to the city .

Mr Knight is behind a team planning to attract the biggest Hollywood movies to Birmingham with ambitious proposals for a major studio complex. Plans are being drawn up for six studio at the NEC which could attract major Hollywood movie producers to the region.

The Birmingham-born writer is now working with Birmingham City Council and developers on the scheme, and, while it is at early stages, he said there was no film too big for the city.

He wants the project to breathe new life into the region’s ailing broadcasting sector – bringing in special effects, post-production and animation companies, as well as a new tourist attraction for film buffs.

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The move comes amid talk that the Government was considering moving Channel 4 to Birmingham, with every mainstream broadcaster presently based in the capital.

Mr Knight said after he revealed his ambitious plans for the city, he hoped Channel 4 would follow suit.

“I would love that to happen,” he told the Post. “The reason to do this in the first place is to try to get things moving in the media in Birmingham and the West Midlands.

“If and when our thing happens, of course it would be symbiotic for Channel 4.

“We have got the BBC, then things like Imaginarium, who are among the best special effects companies, interested, and it would be ideal to have Channel 4 as well.”

Rumours of a Channel 4 move have been circulating for a year but have now intensified after Culture Secretary John Whittingdale revealed it was potentially on the table.

However, Channel 4’s executives are against the idea, claiming they had to be based in London. A final decision is expected before the summer.

Mr Knight believes the new studios would boost the city’s broadcasting sector, and added: “I think it will happen”.

He said: “I am very bullish about this. The industry needs a big film studio outside London because everything is backed up and the big productions need space.

Let's get Steven Knight knighted!

“Our plans, along with the council and others who have to remain unnamed, is we want to build six purpose-built studios at the NEC which would be both for film and television, but mostly for film.

“It is really aimed at larger productions.”

The Post previously reported Mr Knight had held meetings with production giant Paramount about a studio in Birmingham.

With the city starved of production facilities, the writer has spent more than two years looking into establishing studios for large-scale productions here, called Mercian.

Steven Knight speaks to our reporter at the launch of Peaky Blinders series two

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But his ambitious plans would put the region back on the broadcasting map – and he hopes to have it up-and-running in about two-and-a-half years.

While they are in early stages – no deal has yet been struck for the land and funds need to be raised – architects are presently drawing up plans for the studio complex.

Mr Knight hopes it would open the door to production companies flocking to the region.

He said: “We want to look at the whole piece of land and make it a real destination both for people who make films and people who want to be around film-making.”

He added: “Hopefully, it would have a halo effect on the wider area and you’d start to have the more hi-tech side, post production, animation, all of those things.

“A film studio can generate all those things, along with retail and restaurants which would hopefully then be attracted to the area.

“You would have a media centre which could attract in anyone – the Royal Shakespeare Company maybe, or the BBC.

“I think these are things that can be made to happen. There seems to be a strong will for it to happen.”