The Hollywood Reporter has reported the casting of Matthew Macfadyen (Pride and Prejudice, Succession, Operation Mincemeat) and Michael Shannon (Man of Steel, The Iceman, Bullet Train) in a new drama series from Netflix. The announcement comes on the heels of Macfadyen’s success this awards season for his work on the final season of Succession.
The series will be called Death by Lightning. The premise according to The Hollywood Reporter will be about President James Garfield, his rise to power, his relationship with Charles Guiteau, and his assassination.
The official description of the series says, “Death by Lightning is a drama series that brings to life the epic and stranger-than-fiction true story of James Garfield, reluctant 20th president of the United States, and his greatest admirer Charles Guiteau — the man who would come to kill him.”
Macfadyen is set to play Charles Guiteau and Shannon to play President James Garfield.
The series is based on Destiny Of The Republic, a novel by Candice Millard.
The creative team currently attached to the project includes Mike Makowsky (Bad Education, I Think We’re Alone Now, Take Me). The producers of the show are David Benioff (3 Body Problem, 25th Hour, Game of Thrones), D.B. Weiss (3 Body Problem, Metal Lords, Game of Thrones), and Bernadette Caulfield (Game of Thrones: The Last Watch, Brink!, Metal Lords). Matt Ross (Captain Fantastic, American Psycho, Silicon Valley) is set to direct.
Benioff and Weiss are also set to release their new project 3 Body Problem. The series is an alien invasion sci-fi epic that will be released on Netflix.