Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol has been immortalized on film multiple times, but Tom Hardy's involvement in a new adaptation suggests it'll be a more menacing take on the classic tale than the Muppets'.

The BBC has announced that Tom's production company, Hardy Son & Baker, is teaming up with Steven Knight, the creator and writer behind Peaky Blinders, to adapt the book for television.

And though no cast details have been announced, it's worth noting that Tom and Steven have teamed up in this way once before. Since working together on Peaky Blinders (Tom plays violent and unpredictable gangster Alfie Solomons), they've also collaborated on Taboo, the eight-part series set in 19th century London that stars Tom as returned adventurer James Delaney.

It's reasonable then to suggest Tom might therefore be in line to play Ebenezer Scrooge, the old miser visited by ghosts on Christmas Eve in Dickens' 1843 novella. Recent actors who've tackled the part include Michael Caine in The Muppet Christmas Carol, Michael Gambon in Doctor Who, and Christopher Plummer in upcoming Dan Stevens-starrer The Man Who Invented Christmas.

Admittedly Tom, at just 40, is a little young for the role, but the team behind the new adaptation certainly has form in bringing a fresh new slant to historical dramas.

Indeed, they promise to "reinvent Dickens' most famous works for a new generation," with A Christmas Carol the first of his novels to be adapted in the deal.

Whether Tom stars or not, we can expect a gritty, more menacing tale than previous adaptations.

"Any question about narrative storytelling is answered by Dickens," said writer Steven. "To have the chance to revisit the text and interpret in a new way is the greatest privilege. We need luck and wisdom to do this justice."

A Christmas Carol will span three episodes over Christmas 2019.

Can you picture Tom Hardy as Scrooge?