JFK Is Getting the ‘Crown’ Treatment in a Netflix Series

Forget the Windsors. It’s the Kennedy family’s time to shine.

Netflix is developing a limited television series based on the life of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, as reported by Variety. The streaming giant sees the show as an American version of The Crown, according to sources. But instead of recounting the lives of Queen Elizabeth II and the British royal family, the program will delve into the Kennedy dynasty.

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The series will be based on Fredrik Logevall’s JFK: Coming Of Age In The American Century, 1917-1956. This acclaimed two-volume biography details JFK’s life from his birth in 1917 to his death in 1963. The first volume, which was released by Random House in 2020, examines his education, military service, and early political career. The upcoming second volume will likely cover his presidency and assassination.

It is not yet known who will play the 35th U.S. President in the upcoming series. (James Marsden seems like a relatively good fit, having already portrayed Kennedy in 2013’s The Butler.) It is also unclear if the show will follow the same pattern as The Crown in which different actors come in every two seasons to play the main characters as they age. (Netflix did not immediately respond to Robb Report’s request for more information.)

A few members of the production team have already been identified, though. Eric Roth is attached to write and executive produce the project, according to Variety. The highly successful screenwriter won an Oscar for Forrest Gump in 1995 and has been nominated for six more Academy Awards since. Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping of Chernin Entertainment will also executive produce the series. The company recently co-produced Luther: The Fallen Sun starring Idris Elba.

No further decisions regarding cast and crew have been announced, but the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strikes could very well slow down the entire casting process. Perhaps we should give Marsden a heads-up.

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