‘A Tale of Two Cities’ is getting a fresh new look, as the BBC has acquired a four-part adaptation of Charles Dickens’ literary classic, starring Kit Harington (Industry, Game of Thrones), François Civil (Beating Hearts, The Three Musketeers), and Mirren Mack (Miss Austen, Hedda). The series will also air on MGM+ in the US.
Filming kicks off this October with Hong Khaou (Mr Loverman, Lilting, Alice & Jack) directing and Daniel West (Gunpowder, Top Boy) writing. West is also serving as executive producer alongside Harington.
Set in London, 1782, the story follows Lucie Manette (Mack), whose world is upended when she learns her father, thought dead for nearly 20 years, may be alive in Paris. The news comes from French emigré Charles Darnay (Civil), who is quickly arrested for treason. To save him, Lucie enlists the help of erratic lawyer Sydney Carton (Harington), sparking a turbulent love triangle that pulls the three characters through triumphs, tragedies, marriage, and murder. Darnay and Carton, so alike in appearance yet worlds apart in spirit, find themselves bound together in ways neither can escape.
Executive producer Polly Williams of Federation Stories described the new adaptation as “a very timely story,” adding, “Kit and Dan are a dynamic team who have a long-held passion for this amazing story, and it has been a joy to work with them and the brilliant Hong to realise it for TV.”
Harington and West, who are producing through their Thriker Films banner, called Dickens’ tale “the original historical blockbuster” and promised their version would be “a twisting period thriller; one with a contemporary, volatile love triangle at its heart.”
Sue Deeks, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition, added: “It has been many years since the last television adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities, and we couldn’t have a more perfect creative team ready to bring a new audience to one of the most intense, romantic and thrilling stories of all time.”
The series is produced by Federation Stories in co-production with Federation Studio France and Thriker Films, with distribution handled by Federation International. Simon Meyers (I May Destroy You) serves as producer.
‘A Tale of Two Cities’ does not yet have a premiere date but will air on BBC in the UK. If you want to keep track of this or any other shows, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date. Visit Never Miss.
Image credit: L-R: Kit Harington (Image: Matthew Brookes) and Mirren Mack (Image: Iona Wolff). Provided by the BBC.
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