Kit Harington Miniseries 'Gunpowder' Lands at HBO, Set For December
October 31, 2017 Slideshow, TV
Kit Harington's latest TV project is headed to HBO. The pay cabler has acquired the BBC One miniseries Gunpowder toplined by the Game of Thrones star, it was announced Tuesday. The three-part thriller is based on the real-life 17th century events that led to Guy Fawkes Day. Harington stars as Robert Catesby, who was the driving force behind the Gunpowder Plot in London in 1605. A committed Catholic at a time when Protestant England persecuted Catholics relentlessly, Catesby's refusal to abandon his religion brought him to the edge of financial, social and psychological ruin.
Peter Mullan (Quarry), Mark Gatiss (Sherlock) and Liv Tyler (HBO's The Leftovers) also star in the miniseries. Ronan Bennett (Top Boy) penned the project, which was directed by J Blakeson (The Disappearance of Alice Creed).
Originally commissioned for BBC One, Gunpowder hails from Kudos, part of Endemol Shine Group, in association with Thriker Films. Executive producers include Ollie Madden for Kudos, Matthew Read for the BBC and Bennett. Harington also serves as a co-exec producer alongside Daniel West for Thriker Films.
Laurie Borg is attached as a producer. Endemol Shine International is overseeing international distribution of the series, with executive vp sales and acquisitions Matt Creasey making the deal with HBO.
The three-hour drama will air over three nights, running Monday-Wednesday, Dec. 18-20, at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
Gunpowder marks Harington's third project at HBO. In addition to his long tenure as Jon Snow on the pay cabler's smash drama Game of Thrones, he also starred opposite Andy Samberg in the 2015 sports mockumentary 7 Days in Hell. Harington will return to the network again for the upcoming six-episode final season of Thrones, which does not yet have a premiere date.
Gunpowder is a particularly personal one for Harington, who is a descendant of Catesby, the character he plays in the series. "Three years ago, Daniel West and I conceived and began developing Gunpowder with Kudos and Ronan Bennett," said Harington. "We are now thrilled to share this unique story with the U.S. audience. I can't think of a better place to do that than my home at HBO."
Added HBO miniseries and Cinemax programming president Kary Antholis: "We are delighted to offer a platform for a project that is so close to Kit Harington's heart. Kit's passion for and belief in Gunpowder are evident in every frame of the miniseries."
Gunpowder marks the first production for Harington's Thriker Films banner. The series recently made its debut in the U.K. and wraps its run Saturday.
"We are thrilled that HBO has come on board as our U.S. partner for this outstanding miniseries," said Endemol Shine International chief executive Cathy Payne. "It is a testament to the producers Kudos and Thriker Films and the amazing cast."
Photographs are Courtesy: BBC