Apple TV+ today unveiled the trailer for Franklin, the upcoming eight-part limited series starring and executive-produced by Academy, Emmy, and AFI Lifetime Achievement Award winner Michael Douglas.
Led by Douglas in the title role of Benjamin Franklin, Franklin will premiere globally with the first three episodes on Friday, April 12, followed by one new episode every Friday through May 17, 2024.
Based on Pulitzer Prize winner Stacy Schiff’s book, A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America, Franklin explores the thrilling story of the greatest gamble of Benjamin Franklin’s career. In December 1776, Franklin is world famous for his electrical experiments, but his passion and power are put to the test when, as the fate of American independence hangs in the balance, he embarks on a secret mission to France.
At age 70, without any diplomatic training, Franklin convinced 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 to engineer the Franco-American alliance of 1778 and the peace treaty with Great Britain in 1783.
The eight-year French mission stands as Franklin’s most vital service to his country. Diplomats and historians still regard it as the greatest single tour of duty by an ambassador in our nation’s history, as without French aid, America could not have won the Revolution.
The drama also stars Noah Jupe (A Quiet Place) as Temple Franklin, Thibault de Montalembert (Call My Agent!) as Comte de Vergennes, Daniel Mays (Line of Duty) as Edward Bancroft, Ludivine Sagnier (Lupin) as Madame Brillon, Eddie Marsan (Ray Donovan) as John Adams, Assaad Bouab (Call My Agent!) as Beaumarchais, Jeanne Balibar (Irma Vep) as Madame Helvetius, and Theodore Pellerin (There’s Someone Inside Your House) as Marquis de Lafayette.
In addition to Michael Douglas, the creative team includes Emmy and WGA Award-winning writer and executive producer Kirk Ellis (John Adams) and Emmy, WGA, and Pulitzer Prize Award-nominated writer and executive producer Howard Korder (Boardwalk Empire). Emmy and DGA Award-winning director Tim Van Patten (Masters of the Air, The Sopranos) serves as director and executive producer.
Richard Plepler executive produces through EDEN Productions, Tony Krantz through Flame Ventures, Philippe Maigret through ITV Studios America, and Mark Mostyn also executive produces. Stacy Schiff also serves as co-executive producer. Franklin is a co-production between ITV Studios America and Apple Studios.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills in 2018 to cover the latest news on streaming, movies, TV, and video games.