'The Count of Monte Cristo' Trailer Promises a Sweeping Tale of Revenge
Masterpiece's full trailer for its forthcoming adaptation of Alexandre Dumas's classic novel is dark and lush.
"When planning revenge, dig your own grave first." Thus intones an ominous voiceover in the extended new Masterpiece trailer for its forthcoming adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo, which sets the stage for a sweeping tale of payback and lost love.
Sam Claflin (Peaky Blinders) stars as Edmond Dantès, a well-liked young sailor who is betrayed by his friends and falsely imprisoned for treason. After fifteen years in captivity, he manages to escape and sets an elaborate plan in motion to get revenge on all those who have wronged him. (With a little help from a fellow prisoner, a hidden treasure, and an extremely flexible moral compass.)
Based on Alexandre Dumas's novel of the same name, the tale is inspired by the real-life injustices faced by the author's father, who was imprisoned by Napoleon and never recovered from the abuse he endured during that time. Its story explores themes of hope, mercy, justice, and adversity, and it serves as the blueprint for every revenge fantasy published since its release.
Here's the series' synopsis:
On the eve of his wedding, Edmond Dantès’ future is suddenly snatched away when he is wrongly accused of treason. As the years pass, Edmond endures his sentence on the island prison of the Castle d’If with no hope of returning to his beloved fiancée, Mercédès. But his fortunes change when he encounters a fellow inmate, the Abbé Faria, who imparts his vast knowledge to the young man, including the whereabouts of a hidden treasure. Armed with this knowledge and the desire for revenge, Edmond escapes and reinvents himself as the wealthy and mysterious Count of Monte Cristo.
Alongside Claflin, the series also stars Jeremy Irons (The Hollow Crown) as Abbé Faria, Ana Girardot (The Returned) as Mercédès Herrera, Blake Ritson (The Gilded Age) as Baron Danglars, Karla-Simone Spence (The Confessions of Frannie Langton) as Haydée, and Mikkel Følsgaard (Dicte) as Gérard de Villefort.
Greg Latter (Cold Harvest) and Sandro Petraglia (A Professor) adapted the series from Alexandre Dumas' novel, with writers Lorenzo Bagnatori, Eleonora Bordi, and Michela Straniero. Director Bille August (A War of Their Own) helmed all eight installments. Claflin is credited as an executive producer, alongside Carlo Degli Esposti, Nicola Serra, Patrizia Massa, and Max Gusberti.
The Count of Monte Cristo will get an early streaming release on PBS Passport for members and on the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel, with all episodes available on both platforms from Sunday, March 1, 2026.
The series will air and stream on the PBS app weekly on Sundays, beginning March 22, 2026, at 10 p.m. ET on most local PBS stations, directly following the premiere of Call the Midwife Season 15 and the series debut of The Forsytes at 8 and 9 p.m. ET, respectively. Check your local listings.
