Guy Pearce is set to star in a new adaptation of Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol.


The three-part series, written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, will see Pearce star as Ebenezer Scrooge, with the drama set to air this Christmas on BBC1.

Lord of the Rings’ Andy Serkis, Line of Duty star Stephen Graham and Peaky Blinders’ Charlotte Riley are also among the cast.

The new adaptation, created for BBC1 in the UK and FX in the US, will be a “haunting, hallucinatory, spine-tingling” take on the Charles Dickens ghost story according to the BBC.

Serkis will play the Ghost of Christmas Past, while Blade Runner actor Rutger Hauer will feature as the Ghost of Christmas Future. The Ghost of Christmas Present has yet to be revealed.

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

The series is made by the same team behind trippy BBC historical drama Taboo starring Tom Hardy. Hardy is one of the executive producers on A Christmas Carol, but currently he is not named among the cast.

The ensemble cast also includes Joe Alwyn (The Favourite) as Bob Cratchit; Vinette Robinson (Doctor Who) as Mary Cratchit; Kayvan Novak (What We Do In The Shadows) as Ali Baba and Lenny Rush (Old Boys) as Tim Cratchit.

A Christmas Carol is set to be 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.

BBC Drama controller Wenger said, “We’re incredibly excited that filming has begun on Steve Knight’s brilliant interpretation of A Christmas Carol, with Nick Murphy directing a phenomenal cast in what promises to be an iconic version of the classic tale.”


A Christmas Carol will air on BBC1 in the UK and FX in the US this Christmas