Game of Thrones star Kit Harington to headline the A Tale of Two Cities

Kit Harington, known for his role as Jon Snow in Game of Thrones, has been cast as the lead in a fresh TV adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, commissioned by the BBC and MGM+. Recent reports suggest this is Harington's comeback to historical drama, playing the complicated Sydney Carton.

The four-part series is set to start filming in the near future and will star François Civil and Mirren Mack. A Tale of Two Cities reunites top talents, with director Hong Khao and writer Daniel West set to helm the project, and is expected to hit the screens next year, as Variety and Deadline report.

A Tale of Two Cities: The adaptation and Kit Harington's role in it

Kit Harington takes on the part of Sydney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities, one of the most memorable characters in Dickens. Carton's transformation--to a man who can make the ultimate sacrifice after being a disillusioned, self-centered lawyer--is central to the tale. Harington stars alongside François Civil as Charles Darnay and Mirren Mack as Lucie Manette, reports the BBC and production notes.

Set against the background of the British-French war of the 1780s and the turmoil of the French Revolution, Dickens' timeless tale traces the life of Lucie Manette when she finds that her father, Dr. Manette, is alive after spending years in a French prison. Their reunion draws her into a world of politics, revenge, and revolution.

Two men dominate her life: Charles Darnay, on trial for treason, and Sydney Carton, the volatile attorney whose own life becomes inextricably linked with that of Lucie and Darnay. Their conjoined fates serve to put the novel's core themes--justice, sacrifice, and redemption--into crystal-clear relief.

This reworking of the classic novel vows to retain not only the grand historical epic but also the emotional heart of the novel. The love triangle between Carton, Lucie, and Darnay will be at the center of the show, weighing individual angst against the epochal political flux of the time.

Key cast, crew, and production timeline

A Tale of Two Cities also includes Kit Harington with François Civil and Mirren Mack. Civil will appear as French émigré Charles Darnay, while Mack will play Lucie Manette. The Cinemaholic quotes that the shooting is going to start in Budapest, Hungary, this September.

Director Hong Khao and writer Daniel West make up the creative team, with Federation Stories and Thriker Films producing the series. A Tale of Two Cities is billed as a dramatic reworking of Dickens' 1859 novel, emphasizing key plot points like treason, courtroom procedure, and the looming specter of the Revolution. The BBC and MGM+ are co-producing, with a release date set for 2026.

Kit Harington's Career Graph

Since Game of Thrones, Kit Harington has done a range of prominent work, such as Industry (BBC/HBO), Blood for Dust, Baby Ruby, and Apple TV+'s Extrapolations.

Harington's latest film roles include The Eternals and the forthcoming romantic drama Eternal Return. Casting as Sydney Carton provides another complex period character to add to his resume.

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