The Crownwas an anomaly for Netflix, as it was the streamer’s one true blockbuster hit that wasn’t a “genre series” in the vein of Stranger Things,Squid Game, or The Witcher. While even shows like The Diplomatand Bridgertonhave followed alternative versions of current events and history, The Crown proved that there was a sizable audience interested in learning more about the development of the British royal family over the course of the 21st century. Given that The Crown racked up many Emmy Awards and ran for six seasons (which is rare for a Netflix show), it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Netflix wants to replicate its success by creating another decade-spanning historical epic. However, its choice of subject for its next ambitious project may fail to create the same phenomenon.
Netflix’s upcoming series Kennedy certainly has a talented cast and crew assembled, with Academy Award-nominated director Thomas Vinterberg(Another Round, The Hunt)and Oscar-winning screenwriter Eric Roth(Forrest Gump, A Star is Born, Dune) attached. Although the series will presumably cycle out its cast in order to examine the different generations of Kennedys, Michael Fassbenderis attached to play Joe Kennedy Sr. within the first season. However, the navigation of the Kennedys’ story is more obtuse than the British royal family, and opens the series up to no shortage of potential controversies. Given the sheer number of films and shows already made about the Kennedys,Netflix will have to work hard to ensure that its new drama series doesn’t feel like a derivative history lesson.
The Kennedys Are Already Well-Documented on Film
Given that President John F. Kennedy was the first American commander-in-chief who appropriately took advantage of television as a medium to communicate with citizens, there is a fair amount of archival material that already exists about his presidency. The administration and assassination of President Kennedy is one of the most covered historical events in modern storytelling; JFK infamously presented Oliver Stone’s conspiracies about who actually killed the President, while Jackie earned Natalie Portmanan Academy Award nomination for her performance as the grief-stricken First Lady, and Thirteen Days depicted one of the most important moments in Kennedy’s presidency. Versions of the late President have even popped up in historical dramas like Blonde, LBJ, Parkland, Lee Daniels’ The Butler, and the Stephen King series 11.22.63. Even if Netflix is somehow able to find an actor that can embody the effortless charisma of America’s youngest elected President, it’s going to be held up to high standards based on the other existing examples.
Although the JFK assassination has invited all sorts of speculation from filmmakers, documentarians, and conspiracy theorists, there have also been repeated depictions of other members of the Kennedy family.Emilio Estevez’s underrated ensemble drama Bobby captured the paranoia and chaos of the assassination of presidential candidate (and brother to JFK) Robert Kennedy in such meticulous fashion that it would be hard for the Netflix series to apply the same degree of rigor. Similarly, the excellent biopic Chappaquiddick featured Jason Clarkein the performance of his career as Ted Kennedy, the youngest of the three brothers, and examined the most consequential events during his bid for the Presidency. More Kennedy-related projects on the horizon could make the Netflix series look like old news; Ryan Murphyis working on the first season of American Love Story about the tragic death of John F. Kennedy Jr., and David Mamet is creating a new film about the JFK assassination that will involve the likes of Al Pacino,Shia LaBeouf,and John Travolta. Although Murphy and Mamet aren’t particularly consistent storytellers, it goes without saying that their upcoming projects will at least inspire feverish debate.
Not Every Era of the Kennedys Is Equally Fascinating
Although there is certainly a lot of interest in the reigns of JFK and RFK, not every member of the Kennedy family may be of interest to an average viewer on Netflix. The Crown had a clear direction from the beginning because it focused on the same two figures of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip from its inception, whereas Netflix has chosen to start with one of the more controversial and less compelling members of the Kennedy family. Choosing Joe Kennedy as the subject of the show’s first season may be a risky move, as it remains to be seen if Netflix audiences are interested in another story about a wealthy philanthropist and politician who becomes a Washington insider. Fassbender is certainly a draw because of his talents, but his best work tends to be in dark character pieces like Slow West, 12 Years a Slave, Shame, and Inglorious Basterds, in which he can bring the appropriate edge to the role. Even if Fassbender succeeds in bringing depth and nuance to his performance, viewers might have a hard time starting Kennedy if they know that the more exciting material is a few years away.
The risk of making a show about such well-known historical figures is that the series is unlikely to change any minds; while The Crown was at least able to explore British royal customs to an audience outside of the United Kingdom, the achievements and precedents set by the Kennedy family are already debated by historians and political pundits on a regular basis. The Kennedy series will only continue to invoke extreme reactions as it gets into the family’s more recent history, as there’s nothing good that can come from giving a conspiracy theorist and anti-science advocate like Robert Kennedy Jr. any more attention. If the ending seasons of The Crown had any significant issues, it is that they simply replicated well-known media events without having a clever or interesting perspective. The Kennedys have a story worth telling, but a multi-season epic that attempts to encapsulate every way in which they impacted culture, media, and politics may not be the best direction for Netflix to be headed in.
