Actor, filmmaker, and Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss is all set to release a horror story for Christmas this year with Lot No. 249. The supernatural drama forms a part of the long-running anthology series on the BBC, A Ghost Story for Christmas. The series reintroduces the Victorian tradition of telling supernatural tales at the annual festival, albeit with television films instead of whispering them by the fire. Written and directed by Gatiss himself, Lot No. 249 is an adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s horror short story of the same name, and stars Kit Harington and Freddie Fox in lead roles. No, it’s not a Sherlock story. But it’s so much spookier!

The Gothic horror story by Doyle was first published in Harper’s Magazine in 1892, a period that saw huge interest in Egyptian history and culture among Europeans. Apart from being a product of Doyle’s interest in the supernatural and Egyptology, Lot No. 249 introduced the idea of a “killer undead mummy” which became an inspiration for mummy-themed horrors for succeeding generations. One such significant adaptation was Boris Karloff’s The Mummy (1932), which spawned a six-decade-long film franchise that also includes the revival film series by Stephen Sommers, starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. Lot No. 249 was also adapted as a part of the 1990 horror anthology film Tales from the Darkside: The Movie starring Steve Buscemi, Christian Slater, and Julianne Moore, where the central creature of the feature looked like this:

Gatiss’ Lot No. 249 is billed as a Christmas special horror film and will air as a part of the BBC’s winter schedule. Produced by the BBC and set to air on BBC Two, Lot No. 249 is Gatiss’s sixth film and the 17th installment in the A Ghost Story for Christmas anthology series. The anthology series began in 1971 and included a strand of short television films that ran till 1978. The show was revived in 2004 and from 2005 it has been producing new adaptations of classic horror stories by M.R. James. However, unlike its original run in the 70s, the revival series is more sporadic than a fixed annual release. Talking about the upcoming horror film, Gatiss comments, “It’s a serious delight for me to delve once again into the brilliant work of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, this time for the Christmas Ghost story. Lot No.249 is personal favourite and 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.”

While Christmas might be a time for joy, cheer, and all things bright, this old Victorian tradition can bring a different kind of excitement to the festive season. So, get ready for a dash of the ooky and spooky and read on to learn everything we know so far about Lot No. 249, including its plot, featured cast, and more.

Does ‘Lot No. 249’ Have a Release Date?

Filmed in Hertfordshire, UK, earlier this year, Lot No. 249 is set as a Christmas release on BBC Two in the UK. No actual date has been announced yet but since its revival in 2005, all films of the A Ghost Story for Christmas anthology series have been airing around Christmas day, between December 22 and 25. Last year’s Count Magnus was released on December 23, 2022, so, most likely the upcoming special will also air around the same time.

Where Is ‘Lot No. 249’ Premiering (And Is It Coming to the US)?

Produced by the BBC, Lot No. 249 will air on BBC Two in the UK. As far as broadcast or streaming options in the US are concerned, we don’t have confirmation on where Lot No. 249 will be released in the US. However, BritBox is currently streaming previous A Ghost Story for Christmas specials in the US so that’s where it’s most likely to arrive. While you wait, you can also check out 2022’s Count Magnus: A Ghost Story for Christmas with the following link:

Watch on Britbox

Most shows on the BBC network arrive on PBS, Brit Box, or Prime Video, depending on the content type and audience it is intended for. Since its origins in the 1970s, A Ghost Story for Christmas has aired on various channels on the BBC Network. The first eight films, between 1971 and 1978 aired on BBC One, while six of the nine films in the revival series aired on BBC Four, between 2005 and 2019. In 2021 and 2022, the Christmas special films aired on BBC Two, where the upcoming Lot No. 249 is also set to be released. Watch this space for the latest information on Lot No. 249’s streaming/airing date in the US.

Who’s In the Cast of ‘Lot No. 249’?

Mark Gatiss and his team have put together quite an interesting cast list for Lot No. 249, featuring popular names in British films and television. In October 2023, during the announcement of the holiday film, Kit Harington and Freddie Fox were revealed as the lead cast members. In the same month, Colin Ryan, John Heffernan, James Swanton, Jonathan Rigby, and Andrew Horton were also added to the cast.

Most recognized for playing Jon Snow on Game of Thrones, Harington stars as Abercrombie Smith. The Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated actor is also known for his work in series like Gunpowder, and Modern Love, and films like Testament of Youth, Baby Ruby, and MCU’s Eternals. Freddie Fox plays the character of Edward Bellingham. Apart from being noted for his lead roles in shows like Cucumber, Banana, and White House Farm, Fox has also appeared in The Crown and The Great, and has been starring in a recurring role in Apple TV+’s Slow Horses since 2022. He is set to appear in House of the Dragon Season 2. Colin Ryan, an actor best known for starring in BBC’s Leonardo and voicing the Final Fantasy XIV games plays the character of Monkhouse Lee. In other supporting roles, Heffernan (Dickensian) stars as The Friend, Swanton (Stopmotion) as The Mummy, Rigby (Father Brown) as Styles, and Horton (Jupiter’s Legacy) as Long Norton.

Is There a Trailer for ‘Lot No. 249’?

If you are waiting to catch a glimpse of the upcoming holiday horror film, then you might be disappointed since there is no trailer for Lot No. 249 at this time. Also, it’s worth noting that last year’s Count Magnus also didn’t have a trailer, but 2021’s The Mezzotint had one. So, Lot No. 249 might get a trailer or teaser once we are closer to the release date, sometime in mid-December. We’ll be bringing you the latest news on the trailer/teaser for Lot No. 249 as and when it becomes available.

Who’s Making ‘Lot No. 249’?

Although the horror short story is an original work by Doyle, actor-filmmaker-novelist, Mark Gatiss writes and directs this holiday special film for BBC Two. Gatiss has been adapting popular horror stories into films for A Ghost Story for Christmas since 2013. Before Lot No. 249, he also adapted/created and directed five other horror films in the series: The Tractate Middoth in 2013, The Dead Room in 2018, Martin’s Close in 2019, The Mezzotint in 2021, and Count Magnus in 2022. All of these films, except The Dead Room, were taken from the original works of M. R. James. Lot No. 249 is the first story by Doyle to be featured in the anthology series. However, Gatiss is not new to adapting the legendary author’s works. Along with Doctor Who’s Steven Moffat, he recreated the classic Sherlock Holmes stories for the popular BBC series, Sherlock. Gatiss has also served as a writer on Agatha Christie’s Poirot, Crooked House, and for Doctor Who between 2005 and 2017. Besides writing and directing, Gatiss is also known for his acting roles in Sherlock, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, and Dracula. He also co-created and starred in the BBC sitcom The League of Gentlemen, with Psychoville’s Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, and Jeremy Dyson (Ghost Stories).

The production team of Lot No. 249 also reunites cinematographer Kieran McGuigan from The Mezzotint and composer Blair Mowat from The Mezzotint and Count Magnus. Lot No. 249 is produced by Richelle Wilder and Isibeal Ballance under their production banner Adorable Media for BBC Two. The producers are also known for being attached to Gatiss’s previous projects, like The League of Gentlemen, The Dead Room, Martin’s Close, The Mezzotint, and Count Magnus.

So What Is ‘Lot No. 249’ About?

Lot No. 249 is adapted from a horror short story by Arthur Conan Doyle. The original story follows an Oxford University athlete, Abercrombie Smith who discovers a series of bizarre incidents surrounding Edward Bellingham, a student of Egyptology who owns several Egyptian artifacts, including a mummy. A Ghost Story for Christmas’s Lot No. 249 will follow the same original story, albeit adapted to suit the present-day audience and their sensibilities, with Kit Harington starring as Abercrombie and Freddie Fox as Edward. Here’s the official synopsis:

Lot No. 249 follows a group of Oxford students, one of whom undertakes research into the secrets of Ancient Egypt and becomes the talk of the college. Can these experiments truly breathe life to the horrifying bag of bones which is the mysterious Lot. No. 249?