Michael Shannon stars as James A. Garfield, aka the 20th president of the United States, in Netflix’s latest historical miniseries, “Death by Lightning.”
“Succession” favorite and Emmy winner Matthew Macfadyen holds his own opposite Shannon as Charles J. Guiteau, aka the man who shot Garfield on July 2, 1881, at a railroad station in Washington D.C. Garfield died from his injuries in New Jersey two months later, as this period series dramatizes. The assassination led Vice President Chester Arthur (played here by Nick Offerman, who has made politically charged roles a hallmark of his recent career) to succeed Garfield for one term through 1885. Grover Cleveland followed.
The four episode Netflix series, which just debuted its full trailer (below), comes from creator Mike Makowsky, who wrote the 2019 HBO true-crime drama film “Bad Education” and the 2018 apocalyptic sci-fi thriller “I Think We’re Alone Now.” Bradley Whitford, Shea Whigham, and Betty Gilpin also star in the limited drama series “Death by Lightning,” which debuts on the streamer November 6.
The series continues Netflix’s partnership with executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (“3 Body Problem,” plus HBO’s “Game of Thrones”), as well as Bernie Caulfield (“3 Body Problem,” “Game of Thrones,” “Big Love”). Benioff and Weiss secured in 2019 a nine-figure deal to produce television series exclusively for Netflix. Matt Ross (“28 Hotel Rooms,” “Captain Fantastic,” and TV‘s “Gaslit”) directs all episodes of “Death by Lightning.” It’s based on the 2011 nonfiction tome “Destiny of the Republic” by Candice Millard, which won Edgar and PEN Center USA awards.
Here’s Netflix’s logline for the series: “‘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.”
Netflix is on a roll with fact-based historical drama series that are capturing the zeitgeist, such as Steven Knight’s “House of Guinness,” about the complex dynasty behind the famed beer brewing company. Shannon, who also stars in this year’s Sony Pictures Classics World War II drama “Nuremberg” as Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson, comes to the series with two Oscar nominations under his belt: for 2017’s “Nocturnal Animals” and 2009’s “Revolutionary Road.” He received an Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series Emmy nomination in 2023 for “George & Tammy” as country legend George Jones.