Set Sail With Sam Claflin and Jeremy Irons in ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ First-Look Images

Calling all literary buffs! Today, the most trusted name in classic adaptations, Masterpiece PBS, has officially set a date for the latest on-screen telling of Alexandre Dumas’ timeless tale, The Count of Monte Cristo. Starring Sam Claflin (Daisy Jones & The Six) and Academy Award recipient, Jeremy Irons (The Morning Show), your latest period drama obsession will officially arrive on the PBS app and PBS Masterpiece via Prime Video on March 1. Additionally, the studio has been kind enough to unveil the first set of photos that place the leading actors smack-dab in the middle of director Bille August’s (Pelle the Conqueror) latest vision.

Over an eight-episode journey, audiences will follow along with the highs and lows of a young sailor named Edmond Dantès (Claflin). After being unjustly and falsely accused of treason, he’s thrown behind bars in the Château d’If, a prison on an island off the coast of France, where he’s subject to years of brutal captivity. Eventually, Edmond finds a way out of his sea-surrounded jailhouse and stumbles upon a treasure, which catapults him into the status of becoming one of the wealthiest men in the world. Donning a new moniker, Edmond re-emerges with his riches as the Count of Monte Cristo and sets off on a vengeance-filled quest to seek revenge against those who unfairly put him behind bars.

Our first-look images will give viewers a well-rounded idea of what the series will look like. One shot features Claflin’s young sailor standing on the bow of his ship, looking across the waves and towards the horizon. Another image presumably takes us inside the decaying confines of the Château d’If, where Irons’ character can be seen in ragged clothes with his long white hair and beard falling down to his chest. Finally, the last picture captures the blossoming love story at the center of the tale, with Claflin’s Count of Monte Cristo smiling as he holds a woman in his arms.

Meet the Rest of the Faces Behind ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’

In addition to Claflin and Irons in the leading roles, The Count of Monte Cristo has gathered a standout cast to help bring Dumas’ beloved piece of writing to brilliant life. Included in the ensemble are Ana Girardot (Someone, Somewhere), Roger Sloman (Nuts in May), Mikkel Boe Følsgaard (A Royal Affair), Harry Taurasi (The Infiltrator), Blake Ritson (The Gilded Age), Michele Riondino (The Holy Boy), Karla-Simone Spence (Gold Digger), and more.

Check out the first-look images of The Count of Monte Cristo above and prepare to set sail when the series arrives on March 1.