Deadline reports that Harington is in talks with the BBC to play Guy Fawkes in the tentatively titled Gunpowder. It’s looking to be a three-part drama presented in a series of 60-minute episodes. If these “talks” bear fruit, Harington will play Fawkes himself, the radical who attempted to assassinate King James I in 1605 by stockpiling explosives under the House of Lords. His plot was foiled when he was discovered guarding the blow-em-ups.
Guy Fawkes Night, or Bonfire Night, is still celebrated every November 5, with fireworks and some fun effigy burning. You’ve also seen a version of the popular Guy Fawkes mask at every protest since V for Vendetta came out, as the mythology around the man has shifted with changing times. Kit Harington… kinda looks like it?
And, weirdly enough, Harington is actually related to Robert Catesby, one of Fawkes’ co-conspirators. He’s apparently been working on a screenplay about these guys independently of this new project. It’s unclear if Harington’s writing or insight will be used to develop the series, but it is funny to think that you could try to murder a king and generations later your progeny will be making a TV movie about it.
