Set to air in December, the three-part special from Scott Free and Tom Hardy is the first in a series of new takes on classic Charles Dickens novels. Guy Pearce and Andy Serkis lead the cast.

It may be summer, but FX and BBC are already thinking about Christmas.

FX and BBC are teaming for a new take on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

The three-part special, set to air in December, is the first in a series of new adaptations of classic Charles Dickens novels being produced by Scott Free, Tom Hardy, the BBC and FX Productions.

Guy Pearce will star as Ebenezer Scrooge. The cast includes Andy Serkis (Black Panther) as the Ghost of Christmas Past; Stephen Graham (This Is England) as Jacob Marley; Charlotte Riley (Peaky Blinders) as Lottie; Joe Alwyn (The Favourite) as Bob Cratchit; Vinette Robinson (Doctor Who) as Mary Cratchit; Rutger Hauer (True Blood) as the Ghost of Christmas Future; Kayvan Novak (What We Do in the Shadows) as Ali Baba; and Lenny Rush (Old Boys) as Tim Cratchit.

The series is described as a "unique and original take" that's a "spine-tingling immersion into Scrooge's dark night of the soul. Steven Knight (Taboo, Peaky Blinders) will pen the script and Nick Murphy (The Awakening) will direct.

"This production of A Christmas Carol will respectfully present what we believe to be a timely interpretation of a timeless story," said Knight, who reunites with Taboo producer and star Hardy on the project. Hardy and his Hardy Son & Baker partner Dean Baker will exec produce alongside Scott Free's David W. Zucker, Kate Crowe and BBC's Mona Qureshi. Julian Stevens will produce.

"We are incredibly proud to join the BBC in this latest creative venture, which builds on our expansive programming partnership to bring the best in television to audiences in the U.S. and U.K.,” FX president of original programming Eric Schrier said. “Charles Dickens’ classics, including A Christmas Carol, are timeless tales that have been reimagined generation after generation. We couldn’t imagine a better team to undertake this enormous task than Steven Knight, Tom Hardy, Ridley Scott and their formidable production companies.”

Commissioned by BBC drama controller Piers Wenger and BBC Content director Charlotte Moore, A Christmas Carol is the first in a series of Dickens adaptions. Others that have yet to be announced are expected to air within the next few years. A Christmas Carol is the latest collaboration between FX and BBC, who previously teamed on Hardy's Taboo.