MGM+ has been quietly stringing together a strong year of original, star-and-creator-driven programming on streaming. So far, the standout for 2026 has been The Westies, the historical crime drama starring Bosch‘s Titus Welliver and the iconic J.K. Simmons as a beat cop and leader of the titular gang, respectively, whose differing paths lead them to opposite sides of a war in 1980s Hell’s Kitchen. The platform also shared the debut of the Nicolas Cage-led Spider-Noir with Prime Video, which became a breakout superhero hit with 11 Emmy nominations and plenty of critical acclaim. A recent trailer for American Hostage also set the stage for the platform’s next high-profile outing based on the podcast of the same name and bringing Jon Hamm back to television.
Before that 70s-set thriller hits the screen in September, though, MGM+ is about to take viewers through the best and worst of times once again. The streamer debuts its buzzy adaptation of Charles Dickens‘ literary classic, A Tale of Two Cities, in less than one month, with Game of Thrones favorite Kit Harington and The Three Musketeers‘ François Civil taking on the legendary roles of intertwined physical doubles Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay. One a bright, yet erratic lawyer with a love of alcohol and the other a French emigré locked up for treason, they both collide in the life of Lucie Manette (Mirren Mack), who has learned after 20 years that her father may well be alive after all. Her only hope is Darnay, who delivered the news, but she requires Sydney’s help in saving him so he can lead her back to Paris, beginning a fierce love triangle as each grows closer to her despite their vast differences.
After much anticipation for the latest take on the period drama, an official trailer has just been released, whisking the trio off to 1728 London for the age-old story of love, fate, triumph, tragedy, and murder. It begins with the most well-known line from the Dickens novel as it spotlights the three main characters who will soon become intertwined in the middle of a tense Britain grappling with its war effort against France. Their tale begins after Lucy receives the letter and, after finding that the messenger Darnay has been arrested for treason, relays her story to Carton. He agrees to help over drinks, but he warns her it won’t be easy, and even being associated with a suspected traitor will put her at risk. Nothing will stop her quest for the truth, though, beginning a whirlwind journey of danger and sizzling romance, torn between the two countries and two men so spiritually dissimilar yet forever tied through Ms. Manette.
Who Is Behind MGM+’s ‘A Tale of Two Cities’?
A Tale of Two Cities marks a reunion between Harington and Daniel West, who co-developed the historical drama Gunpowder back in 2017. West penned the four-part Dickensian miniseries and executive produced with Harington, while Outlander‘s Richard Clark directed. Adding to the star-studded creative team is I May Destroy You‘s Simon Meyers as a producer. Federation Stories is the banner behind the series, working in co-production with Federation Studio France and Thriker Films to make it a reality for MGM+ and BBC. The rest of the cast around the trio of Harington, Civil, and Mack, meanwhile, includes Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Yannick Renier, Roxane Duran, and Guillaume Gallienne.
A Tale of Two Cities premieres on MGM+ on Sunday, September 6 in the U.S., Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, and Latin America. Check out the trailer in the player above.
via Collider