Following the premiere of the Guy Pearce-led A Christmas Carol miniseries last December, FX and BBC has officially set their next Charles Dickens limited series adaptation with the acclaimed author’s iconic coming-of-age novel Great Expectations. It will again be executive produced by Tom Hardy (Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant) and Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner) with Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) also returning to write and executive produce.
RELATED: B.J. Novak’s Untitled Anthology Drama Gets Series Order at FX
First published in 1860 as a series of weekly chapters before it was fully released as a novel in 1861, Great Expectations is Charles Dickens’ thirteenth and penultimate novel. It is a coming-of-age story centering around an orphan named Pip. The novel has already been adapted into films, TV shows, and stage plays numerous times now. Notable adaptations include BBC’s 2011 three-part miniseries which starred Ray Winstone, Douglas Booth, Gillian Anderson, and Vanessa Kirby; and director Mike Newell’s 2012 film adaptation which was led by Jeremy Irvine, Helena Bonham Carter, and Ralph Fiennes.
“Adapting Dickens’ work is a delight. I chose ‘Great Expectations’ as the next work to bring to the screen not just because of the timeless characters, but also because of the very timely story,” Knight said in a statement (via The Wrap). “A story of class mobility and class intransigence told through an intensely emotional and personal first-person narrative. As the son of a Blacksmith myself, Pip’s journey from the forge into society is a very special one to me.”
RELATED: Redeemer: Matthew McConaughey, Nic Pizzolatto Reunite for FX Drama Series
The new adaptation will be a six-part miniseries that will be executive produced by Knight, Hardy, Scott and Marina Brackenbury along with BBC’s Dean Baker, David W. Zucker, Kate Crowe and Mona Qureshi. The series is a co-production between FX Productions, BBC, Scott Free and Hardy Son & Baker.
Pick up a copy of the book here!
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
(Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)
