Game of Thrones star teams with Sherlock creator for spooky Arthur Conan Doyle adaptation

This Christmas Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss brings a new ghostly short to the BBC starring Game of Thrones’ Kit Harrington and Pride's Freddie Fox.

In a press release, it was announced that in line with this year's BBC 2023 winter schedule, Gatiss will continue his recent tradition of writing and directing festive shorts for the network. This year will bring an adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s short story Lot No. 249 to our screens.

The upcoming horror story follows a group of Oxford University students, one of whom, Egyptology student Edward Bellingham, begins researching the secrets of Ancient Egypt and embarks on a string of experiments trying to breathe life into a horrifying bag of bones in the infamous Lot. No 249.

Gatiss says that Lot No.249 is his favorite tale from the Victorian writer, :It’s a serious delight for me to delve once again into the brilliant work of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Lot No.249 is the grand-daddy (or should that be Mummy?) of a particular kind of end of Empire chiller: a ripping yarn packed with ghastly scares and who-knows-what lurking in the Victorian closet…"

Gatiss’s previous festive tales for the BBC include The Tractate Middoth, Mezzotint, and Count Magnus which were mostly based on works by a different writer, M.R James, but his latest project isn't the first time Gatiss has penned a Conan Doyle story for television. The director found great success having previously adapted the novelist’s many Sherlock Holmes stories in the mainstream smash hit Sherlock starring Benedict Cumberbatch, which ran for four seasons and garnered many accolades during its time.

Harington plays university athlete Abercrombie Smith and Fox plays history student Edward Bellingham, both title characters taken directly from the original novel. The rest of the cast for Lot No. 249 includes Colin Ryan, John Heffernan, James Swanton, Jonathan Rigby, and Andrew Horton.

Lot No. 249 will air on BBC Two this Christmas. For more ghostly adventures check out our list of the 25 best ghost movies to give you chills.