Attention, Jon Snow fans, the BBC is making a miniseries you are going to love. According to Radio Times, Kit Harington will star in Gunpowder, an adaptation of England's infamous Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Harington will star as the plot's mastermind, Robert Catesby, who the Game of Thrones actor is actually a descendant of. Pretty cool, right? It is not often an actor gets to bring one of their descendants to life onscreen.
While the role will keep the actor in period garb, it is safe to say, Catesby and Jon Snow are very different people. While they are both passionate about justice, Catesby was behind an assassination attempt with an aim towards destabilizing Protestant England. A devout Catholic, Catesby was determined to stop the percussion of his people by assassinating James I. Feeling that peaceful protest was not enough to ensure the safety of English Catholics, Catesby enlisted his family and friends to help him with his dangerous plot.
Joining Harington in the cast are Sherlock's Mark Gatiss as King James' spymaster Chief Robert Cecil, and Liv Tyler as a relative of Catesby's, who fears for her family if her cousin's plot fails. Gunpowder is currently filming, but there is no word yet on when it will air in England or stateside. American fans of Harington shouldn't be too concerned about it not crossing the shore since the project hails from the production company Apple Tree Yard, which has found great success stateside with shows like Humans, Grantchester, and Broadchurch.
With just two seasons of Game of Thrones left — cue sobbing now — it is nice to see Harington taking on new roles. Gunpowder is the first step in his post-Jon Snow career, and it is a good one. He is still playing a heroic figure, but he's playing one with an edge. Catesby was an anarchist who risked everything in the hopes of securing religious freedom for his fellow Catholics. Where Jon is steady and honorable, there is a passion to Catesby that should be interesting to see Harington tap into.
It's also a more grownup role. The new series will find Harington playing a father and the bold leader of plot that involved the likes of Guy Fawkes. Jon's story is a coming of age tale, but Catesby's is truly the story of a grown man who knows exactly what he believes and what he has to do to change the world.
The Gunpowder Plot truly is one of history's most compelling stories, and it is sure to allow Harington to grow as an actor. He has given the world so much with his performance as Jon, but as a fan, I cannot wait to see what the future holds for this talented actor. Gunpowder sounds like an excellent place for the next stage of Harington's career to begin.
