Michael Fassbender stars as patriarch Joe Kennedy Sr. in the upcoming show
Credit: Rob Youngson/Netflix
NEED TO KNOW
- In January 2026, Netflix officially announced Kennedy, a series about the political dynasty
- The drama will star Michael Fassbender as patriarch Joe Kennedy Sr.
- Castle Rock creator Sam Shaw is the series’ showrunner
Camelot is coming to Netflix.
In January 2026, the streaming platform announced that a new series based on the Kennedy family is in the works.
The drama, titled Kennedy, won't start off depicting John F. Kennedy's years as president, but instead be set decades earlier, focusing on Joe Kennedy Sr. — the patriarch of the American dynasty — who will be played by Michael Fassbender.
According to Variety, Netflix sees the series as the American answer to The Crown, with the rise of the influential family followed over multiple seasons.
Not only has Fassbender been announced for the series, but so have other members of the cast, including who will be playing a young JFK, and who will be portraying other historical figures, including Winston Churchill and J. Edgar Hoover.
Here's what we know so far about Netflix's Kennedy series.
What is Netflix’s Kennedy series about?
Credit: Getty
Kennedy will start in the 1930s, following Joe and Rose Kennedy and their nine children, including JFK, as they begin to step into the national spotlight.
The series is inspired by the book JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917–1956 by Fredrik Logevall, and it will also focus on the younger years of the future president, who lives "in the shadow of his golden-boy older brother," Joe Jr., per Netflix's series description.
According to Variety, the book is the first part of a planned two-volume biography of JFK, with part one following his life from birth up to the time that he becomes the junior U.S. Senator from Massachusetts.
"The story of the Kennedys is the closest we have to American mythology," showrunner Sam Shaw told Tudum. "Somewhere between Shakespeare and The Bold and the Beautiful."
"But Fredrik Logevall’s stunning, nuanced biography pulls a veil on the human strivings and burdens behind the myth," Shaw continued. "Revealing as much about our present moment, how we got here and where we’re going, as about the Kennedys themselves."
Who is in the cast of Kennedy?
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The Kennedy clan will be led by Fassbender, and the family will be played an all-star ensemble, fitting for one of America's most iconic families.
Here is the cast of Kennedy:
- Michael Fassbender as Joe Kennedy Sr.
- Laura Donnelly as Rose Kennedy
- Nick Robinson as Joe Kennedy Jr.
- Joshuah Melnick as Jack Kennedy
- Lydia Peckham as Rosemary Kennedy
- Saura Lightfoot-Leon as Kick Kennedy
- Ben Miles as Eddie Moore
- Cole Doman as Lem Billings
- Imogen Poots as Gloria Swanson
In March 2026, Netflix announced additional ensemble members who have joined the Kennedy cast:
- Georgina Bitmead as Eunice Kennedy
- Miley Locke as younger Kick Kennedy
- Tipper Seifert-Cleveland as younger Rosemary Kennedy
- Hera Hilmar as Inga Arvad
- Wyatt Russell as Charles Lindbergh
- Patrick Fischler as Arthur Krock
- Caitlin FitzGerald as Clare Boothe Luce
- Louis Landau as Billy Cavendish
- Robin Soans as Neville Chamberlain
- Denis O’Hare as Raymond Furness
- Albert Welling as Winston Churchill
- Toby Huss as Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Eddie Marsan as J. Edgar Hoover
Who is the creative team behind Kennedy?
Credit: Jerod Harris/Getty
Shaw is the showrunner and executive producer behind Kennedy. He was previously the creator of Hulu's Castle Rock, the two-season series based on the works of Stephen King.
Thomas Vinterberg, who directed the Oscar-winning film Another Round, will serve as an executive producer and direct the first and last episodes, according to Tudum.
Other executive producers on the series include Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Kaitlin Dahill, Eric Roth and more.
"I'm thrilled to be able to explore this saga of a family and a world in transition with Eric Roth, Thomas Vinterberg and our incredible band of artists and partners, at a moment when our past feels urgently present," Shaw said in a statement.
How many episodes will Kennedy be?
The first season of Kennedy will be eight episodes.
When will Kennedy be released on Netflix?
Credit: Getty
A release date for Kennedy has not been announced, but the series has been in development for years. Variety originally reported Netflix was working on the drama back in October 2023.
In March 2026, Netflix revealed production was currently filming in London, and shared a behind-the-scenes photo of Fassbender on set.
Netflix's Kennedy doesn't have a premiere date, but another generation of Kennedys recently hit the small screen. FX's Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, which told the real life romance between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, debuted in February 2026.
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