The lyrics for beloved Christmas song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” very clearly affirm that “scary ghost stories” are just as much a part of the holiday season as “mistletoeing.” And if FX’s spin on the oft-adapted Dickens classic wants to lean into its horror elements, we are all for it.

Guy Pearce stars as Scrooge (other cast members include Andy Serkis and What We Do in the Shadows’ Kayvan Novak) in what is most definitely a dark, dark take on A Christmas Carol, with Ridley Scott and Tom Hardy among its producers. Steven Knight (Locke, Serenity) directs. Check out this grim-as-hell trailer:

“This is the place where Christmas comes to die,” indeed. A Christmas Carol premieres December 19 on FX.

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