Steven Knight to Write and Produce Second Dickens Adaptation for FX with “Great Expectations”

Steven Knight, creator of Peaky Blinders, who previously adapted the Charles Dickens novel, A Christmas Carol, is set to reunite with the same creative team for another adaptation of a Dickens novel, Great Expectations, according to Deadline.

What’s Happening:

  • Steven Knight (Creator, Peaky Blinders) is reportedly reteaming with his Taboo and A Christmas Carol collaborators on an adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic, Great Expectations. 
  • Knight will executive produce alongside Ridley Scott, Tom Hardy, Dean Baker, David W. Zucker and Kate Crowe, as well as write the six-part FX limited series.
  • Dickens’ Great Expectations is the story of Pip, an orphan boy adopted by a blacksmith's family, who has good luck and great expectations, but then loses both his luck and his expectations. Through this rise and fall, however, Pip learns how to find happiness. He learns the meaning of friendship and the meaning of love and, of course, becomes a better person for it.
  • Knight is an admitted fan of Dickens’ work, saying it has helped differentiate Peaky Blinders from other period productions. He also had a decidedly darker take in his recent adaptation of A Christmas Carol for FX, and with Great Expectations it could be possible we might see more of the same.
  • Production on the series is set to begin next year.

What They’re Saying:

  • Steven Knight: “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. 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.”
  • Eric Schrier, President, FX Entertainment: “FX is honored to begin the next chapter of collaboration with Steven Knight, Ridley Scott, Tom Hardy and their teams as they reunite for this modern adaption of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. Their inaugural Dickens adaptation, A Christmas Carol, was a great success both creatively and commercially. We want to thank our partners at the BBC, Scott Free and Hardy Son & Baker for their support and can’t wait to get to work on this project.”
  • Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content:  “(Great Expectations) is the perfect choice given its timely and personal narrative. (Knight’s) original take on one of Britain’s most loved classics will make it must see drama for a whole new generation.”