Netflix’s upcoming four-episode limited series Death by Lightning brings to life the extraordinary and tragic true story of President James Garfield and his assassin, Charles Guiteau.
Starring Michael Shannon as Garfield and Matthew Macfadyen as Guiteau, the series also features Nick Offerman, Betty Gilpin, Bradley Whitford, and Shea Whigham. Created and written by Mike Makowsky (Bad Education), and executive produced by David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, and Bernie Caulfield, the drama is directed by Matt Ross (Captain Fantastic).
Garfield, who rose from poverty to the presidency, famously said, “Assassination can no more be guarded against than death by lightning.” His story — and the man obsessed enough to end it — unfolds in a tale of ambition, faith, and fate that feels eerily modern.
Makowsky calls Garfield’s overlooked legacy “one of the great ‘what ifs’ in American history.”
Death by Lightning premieres November 6, only on Netflix.
