Netflix Releases ‘Death by Lightning’ Trailer: A 19th Century Presidential Thriller
Netflix is ready to reveal a new series, Death by Lightning, a political thriller about one of America’s most shocking presidential assassinations.
The streamer released the first trailer for the show, which explores the life of James Garfield, the 20th president of the United States, and his eventual assassin, Charles Guiteau.
This is the story of President James Garfield and his greatest admirer Charles Guiteau, the man who would come to kill him.
— Netflix (@netflix) October 9, 2025
Michael Shannon, Matthew Macfadyen, Nick Offerman, Betty Gilpin, Bradley Whitford and Shea Whigham star in Death By Lightning. Premiering November 6. pic.twitter.com/OGWlgbziaM
Michael Shannon plays Garfield, while Matthew Macfadyen stars as Guiteau, a man whose admiration for the president turns deadly. The series was created and written by Mike Makowsky, known for HBO’s Emmy-winning Bad Education, and is based on Candice Millard’s book Destiny of the Republic. Netflix confirmed that the show will premiere on November 6.
The cast also includes Shea Whigham, Nick Offerman, Betty Gilpin, and Bradley Whitford, with Alistair Petrie, Archie Fisher, Barry Shabaka Henley, Ben Miles, Kyle Soller, Laura Marcus, Paula Malcomson, Shaun Parkes, Tuppence Middleton, Vondie Curtis Hall, and Željko Ivanek appearing in guest roles.
Death by Lightning received a straight-to-series order in February 2024. Macfadyen’s role marks one of his first TV projects following Succession, and the trailer hints at a dark, intense performance reminiscent of his previous work.
The series is executive produced by Makowsky, David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Bernie Caulfield, and director Matt Ross, who has worked on Gaslit and Silicon Valley. Netflix sources say the show aims to capture both the political tension and personal drama surrounding Garfield’s life and death.
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