GUNPOWDER, THREE-PART HISTORICAL THRILLER STARRING KIT HARINGTON, PETER MULLAN, MARK GATISS AND LIV TYLER, DEBUTS DEC. 18, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO IN THE U.S.

Every year on Nov. 5 the English mark the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot in London in 1605 with bonfires and fireworks. Though known as Guy Fawkes Day because many people believe Fawkes devised the plot, the actual driving force was Robert Catesby, a 30-year-old Warwickshire gentleman.

GUNPOWDER, a three-part thriller based on the real-life 17th century events that led to Guy Fawkes Day, debuts MONDAY, DEC. 18 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), followed by the other parts the subsequent two nights – TUESDAY, DEC. 19 and WEDNESDAY, DEC. 20 – at the same time, exclusively on HBO in the U.S. Originally commissioned by BBC One in the U.K., the miniseries is produced by Kudos (part of Endemol Shine Group) in association with Thriker Films, originally for BBC One.

The show will also be available on HBO On Demand, HBO NOW, HBO GO and affiliate portals.

Kit Harington (HBO’s “Game of Thrones”), Peter Mullan (CINEMAX’s “Quarry”), Mark Gatiss (“Sherlock”) and Liv Tyler (HBO’s “The Leftovers”) star in GUNPOWDER, which is written by Ronan Bennett (“Top Boy”) and directed by J Blakeson (“The Disappearance of Alice Creed”).

Harington, who is also a co-executive producer on the show, has a personal connection to the real-life source of GUNPOWDER. The actor is a descendant of Robert Catesby, the central figure in the story, and plays him in the show. A committed Catholic at a time when Protestant England persecutes Catholics relentlessly, Catesby’s refusal to abandon his religion brings him to the edge of financial, social and psychological ruin. Mark Gatiss plays Robert Cecil, King James’ spymaster, who directs efforts to hunt down, torture and kill priests, while rank-and-file Catholics are subject to oppression and the loss of their property.

Peter Mullan portrays head Jesuit Father Garnet, whose peaceful protestations have little effect on Catesby. Liv Tyler plays Anne Vaux, Catesby’s astute and capable cousin, who becomes suspicious about his activities and fears the consequences will be the exact opposite of what Catesby intends.
GUNPOWDER chronicles the evolution of the plot, the selection of collaborators to carry it out, the gathering of resources and the obstacles to its execution, even as Catesby’s team plays a deadly cat-and-mouse game with Cecil’s ruthless spy network.

Also starring in GUNPOWDER are Edward Holcroft (“Kingsman: The Golden Circle”), Shaun Dooley (“Broadchurch”), Tom Cullen (“Downton Abbey”), Robert Emms (“War Horse”), Derek Riddell (“The Missing”), Sian Webber (“EastEnders”), David Bamber (HBO’s “Rome”) and Kevin Eldon (HBO’s “Game of Thrones”).

Produced by Kudos, part of Endemol Shine Group, in association with Thriker Films for BBC One, GUNPOWDER is executive produced by Ollie Madden for Kudos, Matthew Read for the BBC and Ronan Bennett; Kit Harington and Daniel West are co-executive producers for Thriker Films; Laurie Borg is producer; directed by J Blakeson; written by Ronan Bennett.