You’ve seen the musical version of A Christmas Carol. You’ve seen the creepy CGI version of A Christmas Carol. And you’ve seen the Muppet Christmas Carol. But have you seen a gritty take on A Christmas Carol? Well, you’re about to, thanks to this new FX/BBC co-production which promises to be the darkest adaptation of the Dickens festive classic there’s ever been.
Starring Guy Pearce as the infamous Ebeneezer Scrooge, the three-part TV miniseries will be with us this December. Specifically, as has just been announced, the first part will air on Thursday, December 19th. You may have seen the teaser that arrived online earlier this month but, to go along with the release date news, a full-length trailer has dropped which gives us a much better feel for how the producers have put their own unique stamp on the well-worn tale.
For one, Pearce’s Scrooge looks to be the nastiest you’ve ever seen, even blackmailing Mrs. Cratchitt (Vinette Robinson) into sexual favors in exchange for money to help her sick son, Tiny Tim. It seems that it’s the wronged woman’s curse that summons the spirits we know are destined to help him mend his ways. And those four ghosts are played by Stephen Graham (Jacob Marley), Andy Serkis (Ghost of Christmas Past), Charlotte Riley (Ghost of Christmas Present) and Jason Flemyng (Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come).
The griminess of this version makes more sense when you consider that it comes from the team who previously brought us both Taboo and Peaky Blinders. Ridley Scott produces, alongside Tom Hardy, who’s expected to play a currently unknown role. Writer Steven Knight has teased that several more Dickens adaptations of a similar tone will follow over the next few years, too.
For more, here’s the synopsis for the series:
“FX’s A Christmas Carol is an original take on Charles Dickens’ iconic ghost story by Steven Knight. The FX Original Movie is a spine-tingling immersion into Ebenezer Scrooge’s dark night of the soul. The dark reimagining of the classic tale is produced by FX Productions in association with the BBC, Scott Free and Tom Hardy’s Hardy Son & Baker.”
Be sure to catch A Christmas Carol this Yuletide on FX in the US and BBC One in the UK.
