Tom Hardy and Peaky Blinders creator are working on a Great Expectations BBC adaptation

'As the son of a Blacksmith myself, Pip’s journey from the forge into society is a very special one to me'

Tom Hardy and Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight are working together on a BBC TV adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations.

Dickens’ 1860 literary classic has had numerous film and TV adaptations. The last was Mike Newell’s 2012 film version starring Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes and Jeremy Irvine.

Knight will write and executive produce the six-part series. Hardy will executive produce along with Ridley Scott, Dean Baker, David W Zucker and Kate Crowe.

Scott Free Productions and Hardy Son & Baker, the production companies behind Taboo and Knight’s recent adaptation of A Christmas Carol, will spearhead the project.

“Adapting Dickens’ work is a delight,” Knight said in a statement. “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.”

Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content, said that Great Expectations was “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,” she added.

Production on Great Expectations is not expected to start until next year.