Michael Douglas has signed on to play Benjamin Franklin in an upcoming limited series being developed for Apple TV+. The project comes from Kirk Ellis, who previously wrote the HBO hit series John Adams. He’s executive producing the series along with TV director, writer and producer Tim Van Patten (Boardwalk Empire, The Sopranos). Ellis is also writing the series and Van Patten will direct.
The series will “explore the thrilling story of one of the greatest gambles of Benjamin Franklin’s career. At age 70, without any diplomatic training, Franklin convinced France – an absolute monarchy – to underwrite America’s experiment in democracy. By virtue of his fame, charisma, and ingenuity, Franklin outmaneuvered British spies, French informers, and hostile colleagues, all while engineering the Franco-American alliance of 1778 and the final peace with England of l783. The eight-year French mission stands as Franklin’s most vital service to his country, without which America would not have won the Revolution.”
Franklin certainly has a fascinating history and this is going to make for a great show! I love that they are exploring this aspect of his life and it’s going to be interesting to see Douglas in the role. It’s hard to imagine him as Ben Franklin, but there’s no doubt he’ll deliver a great performance.
This is the third historical drama to come from Ellis. On top of the fantastic series John Adams, he also developed Sons of Liberty for the History Channel. The guy is a great writer for these types of shows, and I have no doubt he’ll deliver an amazing Benjamin Franklin show. Both of his previous shows also featured Franklin. Tom Wilkinson played him in John Adams and he was played Dean Norris in Sons of Liberty.
What do you think about Michael Douglas taking on the role of Ben Franklin in this new series?
Source: Deadline