Kit Harington discusses ‘Gunpowder,’ his HBO miniseries: “It’s my baby”

Gunpowder is a three-part miniseries about the infamous “Gunpowder Plot,” a failed assassination attempt on King James I of England in 1605. Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington is the star, and now, it’s coming to HBO, airing from Monday, December 18 through Wednesday, December 20 at 10:00 p.m. every night. Mark it down.

While we wait, we have this lovely BBC One interview with Harington– he gave it before the series premiered in England. There are also some nice clips from the show.

Harington had a lot to do with Gunpowder, co-producing as well as starring in it. He was motivated by the fact that his maternal ancestor, Robert Catesby, was the mastermind of the Gunpowder Plot, but the dramatic pull of the story grabbed him as well:

"I thought, ‘why has no one told this story? We know about Guy Fawkes. We know a bit about the gunpowder under Parliament . . . but we don’t know about Robert Catesby, Thomas Wintour, [Thomas] Bates, the servant–we don’t know about these other characters and they’re so fascinating. This would make a great drama.’"

Harington goes on to describe his project as a “story of persecution…a historical thriller,” and “in some ways it’s kind of like a chase movie.” Since many viewers already know the final outcome of the Gunpowder Plot (especially in the UK), the series banks on the lesser-known elements of the story, such as Catesby’s contribution to the assassination attempt alongside the more infamous Guy Fawkes.

Producing seems to be a good fit for Harington, especially on a project like Gunpowder, where he was able to build the entire production from the ground up. “I was involved from the very start,” he said. “I understand now what they mean when they say ‘it’s my baby.’ I’m so proud of it and I’m so thrilled we got it done. It still feels like a bit of a dream to me.”

Next: Season 8 filming: The Unsullied prepare for battle, and closer looks at the sets

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