Michael Douglas has been acting for a long time, winning an Academy Award for Wall Street. Now, at 80 years old, he’s still busy, appearing in movies like Ant-Man and The Kominsky Method on Netflix.
He’s now set to star in a big historical drama about Benjamin Franklin. The show has been generating a lot of excitement, especially since Douglas joined the project in February 2022. With the series almost here, it’s time to learn all about Franklin.
Franklin Release Date and Where To Watch
Franklin will premiere on April 12, 2024, after production starts in the summer of 2022. It will only be available to watch on Apple TV.
The streaming service has been releasing many original series in 2024, and Franklin will be added to the list that includes Manhunt, Masters of the Air, Sugar, Palm Royale, Constellation, and The New Look.
The first three episodes will be released all at once, and then new episodes will come out every week.
Cast
It’s clear that one of the most significant aspects of Franklin is the casting of Michael Douglas, a two-time Academy Award winner, in the main role. Even at 80 years old, Douglas is still going strong and isn’t slowing down.
This new project is different for him because it’s a period piece, something he hasn’t really done before. Douglas himself mentioned in an interview with CBS that it’s a change from his usual roles.
“For me, this series is such a reminder of how fragile democracy is. When you start thinking about the time we first created our Constitution, and to see the kind of shape that we’re in now, it’s a reminder.”
“The success of the revolution was by no means assured. Had the Americans failed, the would-be founders would have been hanged. Franklin, America’s first diplomat, understood the need to go slow and steady with the French”.
Other actors joining Michael Douglas in the Franklin series include Noah Jupe, known for A Quiet Place, playing Temple Franklin. Ludivine Sagnier, from Lupin, portrays Madame Brillon.
Eddie Marsan, seen in Back to Black, takes on the role of John Adams. Thibault de Montalembert, recognized from Call My Agent!, plays Comte de Vergennes. Daniel Mays, known for Line of Duty, is Edward Bancroft.
Assaad Bouab, from Homeland, stars as Beaumarchias. Jeanne Balibar, seen in Irma Vep, portrays Madame Helvetius.
Finally, Theodore Pellerin, known for There’s Someone Inside Your House, takes on the role of Marquis de Lafayette.
Plot
The new historical drama is based on a book called A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America, written by Stacy Schiff in 2005.
The book tells the story of Benjamin Franklin’s important role in representing the United States in France during the American Revolution.
Franklin spent eight years in Europe, using his charm and intelligence to help America. The TV show follows this story.
“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 goes to a secret mission to France.”
Benjamin Franklin faced challenges from both the British and the French to make a peace treaty during a time of war.
What’s even more impressive is that Franklin did this without any previous experience in diplomacy, and he was 70 years old at the time.
However, the actor portraying him in the series is 10 years younger than Franklin was during these events.