Michael Douglas to play Benjamin Franklin in limited series for Apple TV+

Apple TV+

Oscar-winner Michael Douglas is playing an American icon: Founding father Benjamin Franklin.

The Kominsky Method star will bring the story of the legendary figure to life for a limited series produced by ITV Studios America and Apple Studios.

The project is based on Pulitzer-winner Stacy Schiff‘s book A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America, and written for the screen and co-produced by Kirk Ellis, who wrote HBO’s acclaimed John Adams series.

“The drama will explore the thrilling story of one of the greatest gambles of Benjamin Franklin’s career,” Apple TV+ teased in a statement.

“At age 70, without any diplomatic training, Franklin convinced France — an absolute monarchy — to underwrite America’s experiment in democracy,” the statement continues. “By virtue of his fame, charisma, and ingenuity, Franklin outmaneuvered British spies, French informers, and hostile colleagues, all while engineering the Franco-American alliance of 1778 and the final peace with England of l783.”

No word on who else will star in the series or when it’ll debut.

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