With its long-running historical docudramaThe Crownwinding down, Netflix is turning to American history for a new miniseries.Eric Rothwill produce a new miniseries based on the life of US PresidentJohn F. Kennedy.Varietyreports that Roth, the screenwriter ofForrest Gump,Dune, andKillers of the Flower Moon, is attached to write and executive produce the miniseries. It will adaptJFK: Coming Of Age In The American Century, 1917-1956byFredrik Logevall, which was released in 2020; a second volume is forthcoming.
The series will cover the length and breadth of Kennedy’s short life, from his Massachusetts boyhood to his service in the US Navy to his rise to political power. Netflix reportedly sees the new series as its equivalent toThe Crown, its long-running series on the reign ofQueen Elizabeth II.Peter Chernin(Ford v Ferrari,P-Valley) andJenno Toppingof Chernin Entertainment will also executive produce; the miniseries is currently looking for a showrunner.
Why Is JFK One Of America’s Most Cinematic Presidents?
The youngest man ever to be elected to the Oval Office, John F. Kennedy had what no President before him had — movie-star good looks, youthful charisma, and a young, photogenic family. All were perfect for the Presidency at the dawn of the TV age. Coupled with his powerful and influential family, and his heroic WWII service, Kennedy’s story was a dramatic one even before his 1963 assassination in Dallas, Texas — an event that still captures the collective American imagination.
Even before Kennedy’s death, his life story was captured on film in 1963’sPT-109, a dramatization of Kennedy’s war service in which he was played byCliff Robertson. Subsequent portrayals have ranged from the straight dramatic (such asBruce Greenwood’s inThirteen Days) to the comedic (such asClone High, in whichChristopher Millervoices a libidinous JFK clone). Entire movies, as well, have been devoted to unraveling the mysteries surrounding his assassination — most famously,Oliver Stone’sJFK. The Kennedy family saga has been captured in miniseries a number of times;Martin Sheenstarred in 1983’sKennedy, whileSteven Weberportrayed him in 1990’sThe Kennedys of Massachusetts,andPatrick Dempseyplayed a young JFK in 1993’sJFK: Reckless Youth.
Netflix’s John F. Kennedy miniseries is in development. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
