“What is he to you?” “A second chance at life!” MGM+ has revealed the first official trailer for the series A Tale of Two Cities, a brand new adaptation of the Charles Dickens story. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in the Bastille in Paris, and release to live in London with his daughter Lucie whom he had never met. The story is set against the conditions that led up to the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror. It was adapted a few times before – into a famous 1935 film with Ronald Colman & Elizabeth Allan; another 1980 film with Chris Sarandon; and a few TV series of course. A pair of lookalikes, one a former French aristocrat and the other an alcoholic English lawyer, fall in love with the same woman amidst the turmoil of the French Revolution. Kit Harrington stars as Sydney Carton & François Civil as Charles Darnay, and Mirren Mack as Lucie Manette; plus Ian Pirie, Roxane Duran, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Yannick Renier. This epic new adaptation is ready for streaming starting in September coming up soon – both in the US on MGM+ and in the UK on BBC One. Along with the brand new French adaptation of Les Miserables, it seems that the French Revolution is a relevant story yet again.
Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for MGM+’s series A Tale of Two Cities, direct from YouTube:
Based on the Charles Dickens classic, best-selling English language novel of all time, A Tale of Two Cities is a timeless story of redemption through sacrifice, the agony of unrequited love, the inevitable, furious uprising of an oppressed people and, above everything, the power of family. London, 1782. Tensions run high in the war between France and Britain. An extraordinary young woman, Lucie Manette, has her life upended when she receives a message from Paris – her father, assumed dead for almost 20 years, may in fact be alive. The messenger– idealistic French émigré, Charles Darnay – is arrested and charged with treason. Lucie enlists the help of a brilliant but erratic young lawyer, Sydney Carton, to free Darnay in the hope he will lead her to Paris to track down her father. Lucie’s collision with Darnay and Carton unleashes a powerful and complex love triangle. Both men fight to be worthy of her love and Lucie is torn over which one to choose. Yet neither man – physically so alike, spiritually poles apart – can escape the other. Instead they find themselves bound together in life and death; through triumphs, tragedies, marriage and murder.
A Tale of Two Cities is a series created and written by British TV writer Daniel West (“Gunpowder”, “Top Boy”). Adapted from the classic Charles Dickens’ novel first published in 1859. Featuring episodes directed by Richard Clark (“Doctor Who”, “Outlander”, “Innocent”, “War of the Worlds”, “The Rumour”). Produced by Simon Meyers. Made by Federation Stories, Thriker Films, Federation Studio France. Executive produced by Polly Williams, Léo Becker, Sarah Best, Kit Harrington, Daniel West, & Hong Khaou. Amazon debuts A Tale of Two Cities streaming on MGM+ starting September 6th, 2026 coming this fall. Who’s interested?
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