Netflix greenlights Kennedy series starring Michael Fassbender as Joseph Kennedy Sr

Netflix and Chernin Entertainment have officially given the green light to a new drama series chronicling the lives of the legendary Kennedy family, according to a report by Variety.

Show on Kennedy's greenlit at Netflix, Variety report

Titled Kennedy, the series is adapted from Fredrik Logevall’s acclaimed biography ‘JFK: Coming of Age’ in the American Century, 1917-1956.

Academy Award-nominated actor Michael Fassbender is set to portray the family patriarch, Joseph Kennedy Sr., in the eight-episode first season commissioned by Netflix.

This announcement comes nearly two years after Variety first revealed that the project was in development at the streaming giant. At that time, insiders described the series as Netflix’s American counterpart to The Crown, aiming to explore the Kennedy family’s rise to political prominence across multiple seasons.

What will the show be about?

The official synopsis of the series outlines the ambitious scope of the drama:

“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 (Fassbender) and Rose Kennedy and their nine children, including rebellious second son Jack, who struggles to escape the shadow of his golden boy older brother.”

Meet the force behind the show

Sam Shaw has been named showrunner and will also serve as an executive producer. Executive producers for Chernin Entertainment include Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, and Kaitlin Dahill.

In addition, acclaimed screenwriter Eric Roth, Logevall, Lila Byock, Anya Epstein, Dustin Thomason, director Thomas Vinterberg, and Anna O’Malley will executive produce the series, with Vinterberg also directing.

Michael Fassbender's work front

For Fassbender, this marks his second major television role in recent years, alongside his starring role in Paramount+’s The Agency, which is currently preparing for a second season.

Widely recognised for his work in film, Fassbender has delivered acclaimed performances in 12 Years a Slave, Steve Jobs, Inglourious Basterds, Shame, Frank, and has appeared in multiple entries in the Alien and X-Men franchise. His portrayal of Joseph Kennedy Sr. is expected to bring the same intensity and depth he is known for on the big screen.

With Netflix positioning Kennedy as a sprawling historical saga, the series promises to delve into both the public and private lives of one of America’s most famous families.