Apple TV+ has ordered “Manhunt” from Monica Beletsky, the first series order under her recently renewed overall deal at the streaming service. Tobias Menzies (“The Crown”) will star on the limited series as Abraham Lincoln’s War Secretary, Edwin Stanton, who was nearly driven to madness by a desire to catch the president’s killer, John Wilkes Booth.
Beletsky, of “Fargo” and “Friday Night Lights” (the TV shows for both) will showrun and executive produce the true-crime series, which is based on the book (“Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer”) by James Swanson. Carl Franklin will serve as director and executive producer.
Part historical fiction, part conspiracy thriller, “Manhunt” will take audiences into the aftermath of the first American Presidential assassination and the fight to preserve and protect the ideals that were the foundation of Lincoln’s Reconstruction plans — issues that reverberate into the present day, according to Apple’s description. The series strongly features Black historical figures whose lives intertwined with the escape, manhunt, and subsequent high-crimes investigation, including Mary Simms, a former slave of the doctor who treated Booth’s injury and gave him safe harbor after his crime.
The series will be produced for Apple TV+ by Apple Studios, and co-produced by Lionsgate, in association with POV Entertainment, Walden Media, and 3 Arts Entertainment. Layne Eskridge executive produces along with Swanson, Michael Rotenberg and Richard Abate executive produce on behalf of 3 Arts, and Frank Smith and Naia Cucukov executive produce for Walden Media.
Beletsky is repped by attorney Tara S. Kole. Menzies is repped by Conway Van Gelder Grant in the UK and WME in the U.S.
Apple TV+ celebrated its second birthday back in November, and there was reason for shareholders in parent company Apple to eat more cake earlier this week. On Monday, Apple became the first company in the world to reach a market cap of $3 trillion. A pretty good base of funding for “Manhunt,” “Ted Lasso,” “Acapulco” and the like.
Apple Reaches $3 Trillion Market Cap