The Kennedys are about to get The Crown treatment. On October 20, Netflix announced a new family drama series focused on the Kennedy family and the American dynasty they created.
Kennedy, based on Fredrik Logevall’s book JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1956, will explore the triumphs and tragedies of the most famous American family. Netflix has already revealed key details about Kennedy, including who will play the family’s patriarch. Scroll down to learn more about the upcoming Kennedy series.
When will Kennedy premiere on Netflix?
The streamer hasn’t announced a premiere date for Kennedy yet. Given that production has yet to get underway, the series probably won’t hit Netflix until 2027. The first season will consist of eight episodes.
Who has been cast in Kennedy?
Oscar-nominee Michael Fassbender has been tapped to play Joe Kennedy, Sr., the head of the Kennedy family. Netflix has not announced who will play Joe’s wife, Rose Kennedy, and the rest of the Kennedy crew. Given the timeline of the first season (more on that below), there will likely be younger and older versions of Joe and Rose’s nine kids: Joseph Jr., John (JFK), Rose, Kathleen, Eunice, Patricia, Robert (Bobby), Jean, and Edward (Ted).
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Sam Shaw will serve as showrunner and executive producer. Additional executive producers include Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping and Kaitlin Dahill for Chernin Entertainment, Eric Roth, Fredrik Logevall, Lila Byock, Anya Epstein, Dustin Thomason, Thomas Vinterberg, and Anna O’Malley. Thomas Vinterberg will direct.
What will the first season of Kennedy be about?
According to the show’s logline, Kennedy “reveals the intimate lives, loves, rivalries, and tragedies that shaped the most iconic dynasty in modern history, and helped create the world we live in today. Beginning in the 1930s, the first season charts the improbable ascent of Joe and Rose Kennedy and their nine children, including rebellious second son Jack, who struggles to escape the shadow of his golden boy older brother.”
Shaw told Tudum in a statement, “The story of the Kennedys is the closest we have to American mythology — somewhere between Shakespeare and The Bold and the Beautiful. But Fredrik Logevall’s stunning, nuanced biography pulls a veil on the human strivings and burdens behind the myth, revealing as much about our present moment, how we got here, and where we’re going, as about the Kennedys themselves. I’m thrilled to be able to explore this saga of a family and a world in transition with Eric Roth, Thomas Vinterberg, and our incredible band of artists and partners, at a moment when our past feels urgently present.”
It’s unknown whether or not the series, should it be renewed, will explore the lives of the Kennedys beyond 1956, including JFK winning the 1960 presidential election, his assassination in 1963, and RFK’s assassination in 1968.
Kennedy, TBA, Netflix