There are few festive tales that have been remade and reworked quite as many times as Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. And 2019 sees another hit our screens, this time with Tom Hardy as executive producer.
It seems like an age since the Mad Max star confirmed he was working on a project for this Yuletide, but the BBC has now given us a date for when it will finally hit our screens.
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The three-part mini-series is set to kick off on 22 December at 9pm on BBC One, with part two the following day at 9.05pm, and the final episode on Christmas Eve at 9pm.
The well-known story has been adapted by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, with Alien director Ridley Scott serving as executive producer alongside Hardy.
And while most of us are well-versed in its plot, this version promises to be a much darker take on the 1843 original which follows the transformation of the mean-spirited Ebenezer Scrooge as he is visited by the three ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.
The film stars Guy Pearce as the miserly Scrooge, Stephen Graham as Jacob Marley, Andy Serkis as Ghost of Christmas Past, Joe Alwyn as Bob Cratchit, Jason Flemyng as Ghost of Christmas Future, as well as Vinette Robinson as Mary Cratchit and Charlotte Riley as Lottie.
Other stars making an appearance include Lenny Rush, Tiarna Williams, Thea Achillea and Billy Barratt.
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Sadly, Hardy won't be appearing on-screen in the new mini-series, so although Knight previously said the Taboo actor would play a 'pivotal' role in the show, it looks like he'll be sticking firmly behind the camera.
The trailer for the chilling special, which has been produced by Ridley Scott's Scott Free London in association with Hardy's production company Hardy Son & Baker, aired last month.
It is set to be the first in a line of Dickens novels to be adapted for the BBC.
Speaking about it earlier this year, Legend star Hardy said: "It's extremely exciting to have the opportunity to team up with Ridley Scott, Steven Knight and our partners at the BBC with this rare and wonderful opportunity to revisit and interpret Dickens' classic works.
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"A Christmas Carol is a fabulous magical piece of theatre and an embarrassment of riches for our creative team - from character all the way through to design. Here's to having a lot of intricate and wonderful fun. We feel very lucky."
Featured Image Credit: BBCTopics: Christmas, TV and Film, Interesting, UK Entertainment