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Peter Morgan’s “The Crown” was a true gem for Netflix. Over the course of six captivating and juicy seasons, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter for “The Queen” and “Frost/Nixon” has traced the rise of Queen Elizabeth II. He didn’t skimp on palace intrigue (in fact, he may have invented some of it) or heartbreak (notably the death of Diana Spencer), and the series was lavishly rewarded with 11 Primetime Emmy Awards (including two for Morgan). More importantly, it was one of Netflix’s most popular shows and a reliable social media discussion generator.
When “The Crown” ended in 2023, there was speculation about how the streamer would fill the royal void left by the series’ absence. Would it go back in time and cover another era? There is no shortage of drama in, for example, earlier eras, but many of those periods have been killed off in film and television. Something almost contemporary seemed right, but the drama rocking Buckingham Palace at the moment is too current. We need to sit back and let this all play out.
In the meantime, who’s to say we should focus on an official “royal” family? Cross the Atlantic to the United States and you can name several clans that have impacted the world both politically and economically – and these families have no shortage of scandals or tragedies.
So it’s no surprise that Netflix is partnering with Chernin Entertainment on a series based on the Kennedys. Simply titled “Kennedy,” the eight-episode first season will focus on the ruthless rise of Joe (played by Michael Fassbender) and Rose Kennedy, as well as their nine children, particularly John Fitzgerald Kennedy, who would become President of the United States in 1960.
Excited? Wait until you have a multitude of talents involved.
Kennedy could be a defining saga of the 20th century
Based on Frederik Logevall’s book, “JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917 — 1956,” it appears that “Kennedy” will deal with the conflict between Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. (a pugnacious businessman who worked in industries ranging from steel to movies to alcohol) and his second son Jack, who stewed in the shadow of his older brother Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Joe must have had it all: the family fortune and a rapid political career that led directly to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. All of this was hushed up when Joe died while serving in World War II. Everything Joe Sr. envisioned for his eldest son suddenly became Jack’s future.
So far, all we know is that Fassbender will play Joe Sr. Capable of a steely reserve and dark, dangerous charisma (as he displayed in Steven Soderbergh’s “Black Bag” earlier this year), the actor seems like A-plus casting to me. Knowing that it will be directed by masterful Danish filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg (“Festen”, “Another Round”), while working with a team of writers led by Sam Shaw (“Manhattan”) and, one presumes, guided in part by executive producer Eric Roth (“The Insider”, “Forrest Gump”), makes this series one of the most anticipated series from our radar.
Shaw described the series thus:
“The story of the Kennedys is the closest thing to American mythology, somewhere between Shakespeare and The Bold and the Beautiful.” But Fredrik Logevall’s astonishing and nuanced biography lifts the veil on the human efforts and burdens behind the myth, revealing as much about our present moment, how we got here and where we are going, as it does about the Kennedys themselves.
Production on the series has only just begun, so expect to find out who will be joining Fassbender shortly. There’s no word yet on a premiere date.
