Woah, if you know of Steven Knight‘s work so far, Peaky Blinders, Taboo, Eastern Promises, then you’ll know he’s got one hell of a knack for a gritty, dark tale that’s worthy both of the era and worth of reinvention. The BBC and FX have just announced the case for this new adaptation of the timeless classic,A Christmas Carol, and we’ve got all the details you need so far.

The three-part special is a unique and original take on Charles Dickens’ iconic ghost story by Knight and promises to be a ‘haunting, hallucinatory, spine-tingling immersion’ into Scrooge’s dark night of the soul. It will be produced by FX Productions, Scott Free, and Hardy Son & Baker for BBC One and comes with an outstanding cast.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL – Guy Pearce as Ebenezer Scrooge. CR: Robert Viglasky/FX

Joining A Christmas Carol are Guy Pearce playing Ebenezer Scrooge; Andy Serkis as Ghost of Christmas Past; Stephen Graham as Jacob Marley; Charlotte Riley as Lottie; Joe Alwyn as Bob Cratchit; Vinette Robinson as Mary Cratchit; Rutger Hauer as the Ghost of Christmas Future; Kayvan Novak as Ali Baba and Lenny Rush as Tim Cratchit. Knight had this to say:

“This production of A Christmas Carol will respectfully present what we believe to be a timely interpretation of a timeless story.”

Further casting and details are still to be announced, the 3×60’ adaptation airing this Christmas on the BBC in the UK and FX in the US is the latest collaboration between the two broadcasters and the creative team behind acclaimed drama series, Taboo. 

A Christmas Carol is the first in a series of adaptions of Charles Dickens’ novels commissioned by Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama and Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content.