A new Netflix drama is to tell the story of the family behind Ireland’s most iconic beverage.
House of Guinness will be written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight and over eight episodes will take viewers into the world of “one of Europe’s most famous and enduring dynasties”.
The show will be set in Dublin and New York in the 19th century and will explore the fallout from the death of Benjamin Guinness, the grandson of the famous brewery founder Arthur Guinness.
Benjamin, a former Lord Mayor of Dublin who died in 1868, was the man responsible for the extraordinary success of Guinness stout through enlarging the St James’s Gate brewery and almost tripling sales within a 10 year period, making him the richest man in Ireland.
A description for the show states the drama will follow Benjamin’s four adult children, Arthur, Edward, Anne, and Ben, as well as “a group of Dublin characters who work and interact with the growing juggernaut that is Guinness”.
Vice-president of content for Netflix UK, Anne Mensah, said the show will “has all the power of Peaky Blinders but the scale and the sweep of a true family saga”.
Creator Steven Knight said: “The Guinness dynasty is known the world over – wealth, poverty, power, influence, and great tragedy are all intertwined to create a rich tapestry of material to draw from. I’ve always been fascinated by their stories and am excited to bring the characters to life for the world to see.”
Karen Wilson, of show producers Kudos, added: “The House of Guinness is full of mystery, intrigue, and drama and we’re absolutely thrilled to be bringing it to Netflix audiences around the globe. This epic and fascinating story about one of the greatest dynasties of the world will have audiences captivated, and I can’t think of anyone better to bring it to life than the brilliant Steven Knight.”
Meanwhile, Belfast actor Jamie Dornan has been confirmed to star in new Netflix series The Undertow, in which he will play identical twins. The show, which begins filming this year, is a remake of Norwegian crime noir drama Twin, which was created and directed by Kristoffer Metcalfe.
