Apple TV+ orders series starring Michael Douglas as Benjamin Franklin

Apple TV+ has ordered a limited event series starring Michael Douglas as Benjamin Franklin from ITV Studios America and an original series from Sam Esmail inspired by Fritz Lang’s 1927 sci-fi film Metropolis.

Michael Douglas (photo: Georges Biard via CC)

Based on Stacy Schiff’s book A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France & the Birth of America, the Benjamin Franklin series will explore one of the greatest gambles of the US Founding Father’s career – when at age 70 and with no diplomatic training, he convinced France to underwrite the US’s experiment in democracy.

The series is written by Kirk Ellis and directed by Tim Van Patten, with ITV Studios America and Apple Studios coproducing. Exec producing are Douglas, Ellis, Van Patten, Richard Plepler, Tony Krantz and Mark Mostyn. Schiff will co-executive produce.

Metropolis, meanwhile, is created, directed and showrun by Mr Robot creator Esmail, and produced by Universal Studios Group’s UCP. Esmail also exec produces via his overall deal with UCP, alongside Chad Hamilton.

The film Metropolis is a German expressionist silent sci-fi movie, regarded as one of the first feature-length movies of that genre. Set in a futuristic urban dystopia, it follows the attempts of Freder, the wealthy son of the city master, and Maria, a saintly figure to the workers, to overcome the vast gulf separating the classes in their city and bring the workers together.