Michael Douglas to let freak kite fly as Ben Franklin in Apple TV+ limited series
Michael Douglas is heading up a new Apple TV+ series as founding father, and C-note daddy, Benjamin Franklin.
The Oscar-winner will slip into the iconic bifocals of one of history's greatest minds in a new limited series for Apple TV+, based on the book A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America by Pulitzer Prize winner Stacy Schiff.
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty; GraphicaArtis/Getty
The series will be written by Kirk Ellis, no stranger to this time period having won Emmys for writing and producing the John Adams miniseries for HBO in 2008, while Emmy-winner Tim Van Patten (Boardwalk Empire, The Sopranos) will direct. Douglas and Schiff will also serve as producers.
According to a press release, the drama will explore the "thrilling story of one of the greatest gambles of Benjamin Franklin's career." The series will show how a 70 year old Franklin, without any diplomatic training, convinced the absolute monarchy of France to underwrite America's little experiment in democracy.
"By virtue of his fame, charisma, and ingenuity, Franklin outmaneuvered British spies, French informers, and hostile colleagues," the release continues, "all while engineering the Franco-American alliance of 1778 and the final peace with England of 1783. The eight-year French mission stands as Franklin's most vital service to his country, without which America would not have won the Revolution."
Though this is the latest fictional incarnation of the polymath, Franklin has popped up all throughout popular culture, from appearances in film (portrayed by Orson Welles not once but twice!), television (Tom Wilkinson won an Emmy for his portrayal in John Adams) and even in ... Deadpool comics? I wonder what the statute of limitations is for rolling in one's grave?
Douglas is no stranger to playing iconic figures. In fact, he has portrayed Franklin before, at least his voice, in the star-studded 2003 PBS miniseries Freedom: A History of US. And, of course, the most important historical figure Douglas has played to date has been Liberace in Behind the Candelabra.
Sure, Liberace, flamboyant pianist, and Franklin, esteemed statesman, might not seem to have much in common but they both understood the importance of showmanship. Am I saying Liberace could also have secured France's aid during the Revolution? Judging solely based on the wigs of the era, methinks the answer is a definite "why not?"
No word yet on when to expect the series to make its debut on the streamer.
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