Upcoming period drama starring Matthew Macfadyen will | UK News

A new period drama is headed to streaming giant Netflix this November – and it will star style favorite Matthew Macfadyen. Death by Lightning is an upcoming 2025 American historic drama mini-series created by Mike Makowsky and based on e book, Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard.

Succession star Macfadyen is no stranger to a period drama. He performed Mr. Darcy is the 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Now, he will play Charles J. Guiteau, the fan turned murderer, a position that will see the actor pivot from charisma to mania.

The sequence synopsis reads: “Death by Lightning is a limited drama series based on the true story of the assassination of 20th U.S. President James Garfield by his admirer, Charles Guiteau. The series chronicles Garfield’s reluctant rise to the presidency, his attempts to reform government, and his subsequent assassination. It explores themes of political corruption and bureaucracy, set against the backdrop of America at a critical crossroads in its history.”

Executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have joined forces with Makowsky and director Matt Ross to create Death by Lightning.

Makowsky told Tudum: “It’s been the thrill of a lifetime seeing this crack team come together to bring James Garfield and his cohort back from the annals of long-forgotten history.

“Six years into working on this project, it’s a story I still can’t consider is true — in all its wild, tragic glory — and it in some way feels even more related to our world today than ever before. I can’t wait for us to find a way to finally share it.”

“The theme of corruption in politics and our paperwork feels significantly evergreen these days,” Makowsky added.

The limited drama series is based on an epic and stranger-than-fiction true story of James Garfield, who was the reluctant 20th president of the United States, and Charles Guiteau — a man who was not only Garfield’s greatest admirer but also his assassin.

Garfield was President in 1881 but was assassinated later that year, having previously served nine terms as a Congressman. He was elected as a Senator but declined this after he became President, despite having not sought the office. Michael Shannon will play the president himself.

The full cast line-up of Death by Lightning includes:

• Michael Shannon (George & Tammy, Waco, Nocturnal Animals) as James Garfield
• Matthew Macfadyen (Succession, Pride & Prejudice, Operation Mincemeat) as Charles Guiteau
• Betty Gilpin (American Primeval, GLOW, Mrs. Davis) as First Lady Crete Garfield
• Nick Offerman (The Last of Us, Parks and Recreation, Fargo) as Vice President Chester Arthur
• Bradley Whitford (The Handmaid’s Tale, Get Out, The West Wing) as Senator James Blaine
• Shea Whigham (Boardwalk Empire, Take Shelter) as Senator Roscoe Conkling
• Paula Malcomson (Deadwood, Ray Donovan) as Franny Scoville, sister of Charles Guiteau
• Tuppence Middleton (Downton Abbey, Mank) as Kate Chase Sprague
• Archie Fisher (Steve, Last Days of John Allen Chau) as Joe Brown
• Laura Marcus (The Serpent Queen) as James and Crete’s daughter Mollie Garfield
• Barry Shabaka Henley (Forever, Bob Hearts Abishola) as Senator Blanche Bruce
• Željko Ivanek (Damages, Walking Dead: Dead City) as Dr. Bliss
• Kyle Soller (Andor, Bodies) as Robert Todd Lincoln
• Ben Miles (The Crown, Napoleon) George Scoville
• Vondie Curtis-Hall (Harriet) as Frederick Douglass
• Shaun Parkes (Small Axe: Mangrove) as Dr. Charles Purvis
• Alistair Petrie (The Night Manager, intimacy Education) as John Sherman

Death by Lightning will be available to stream on Netflix from November 6.