Game of Thrones star sets BBC One drama

Kit Harington in Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones star Kit Harington is set for a 17^th century-set thriller drama based around the Gunpowder Plot for UK pubcaster the BBC.

Harrington will star alongside Peter Mullan (Top of the Lake), Mark Gatiss (Sherlock) and Liv Tyler (Lord of the Rings) in Gunpowder, which is for BBC One.

Harington developed the series with writer Ronan Bennett and Daniel West, with Endemol Shine Group-owned Kudos producing. J. Blakeson (The 5th Wave) will direct.

The three-part series will explore the history behind the Gunpowder Plot, a famous 1605 incident in British political history when a group of dissidents attempting to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London, which has spawned the annual Guy Fawkes Night on November 5.

However, the miniseries will show that while Guy Fawkes had a pivotal role in the event, it was 30-year-old Warwickshire gentleman Robert Catesby (Harrington) was the brains behind the plot.

BBC controller of drama commissioning Piers Wenger said Gunpowder would be “unmissable event television”. He ordered the series along with BBC director of content Charlotte Moore.

Kudos, which produced Harington-starring movie Spooks: The Greater Good, is producing the mini in association with Harington’s prodco, Thriker Films.

Harington is best known for playing Jon Snow, a crucial character in the HBO epic Game of Thrones.

Ollie Madden is executive producer for Kudos, with Stephen Wright doing the same for the BBC. Harington and West will co-executive produce, with Laurie Borg producing.

Endemol Shine International will sell the series worldwide, with filming kick off this month.