With production currently underway in Versailles, it's only a matter of time before we learn more about Apple TV+'s highly-anticipated limited series based on the life and work of Benjamin Franklin. With Michael Douglas attached to play the part of the founding father, it's no wonder that this mini-series is garnering some high-profile talent on both sides of the camera, particularly with Emmy-winning director Tim Van Patten (The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire) on board to helm the eight-part streaming series and Emmy-winning writer Kirk Ellis (John Adams) attached to scribe this adaptation of Stacy Schiff's Pulitzer Prize-winning biography, A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America. Now, Noah Jupe has joined the ensemble in the role of Temple Franklin, Benjamin's diplomat grandson.
As it was revealed in a press release, Jupe joins a cast that also includes Ludivine Sagnier, who'll play Madame Brillon, Thibault de Montalembert, who will be seen as Vergennes, Daniel Mays, who will appear as Edward Bancroft, and Eddie Marsan, who is signed on to play John Adams. Furthermore, Assaad Bouab, Jeanne Balibar, and Theodore Pellerin are also attached to the cast in the roles of Beaumarchais, Helvetius, and Lafayette, respectively. We expect to discover new additions to this still-developing ensemble in the days and months moving forward, especially with the cameras now rolling.
Centered around the final chapters of Benjamin Franklin's life, this currently-untitled Apple TV+ series will follow "one of the greatest gambles" of his historic career. Specifically, when Franklin, without any sort of diplomatic training, "convinced France — an absolute monarchy — to underwrite America's experiment in democracy." A credit to his charisma, intelligence, ingenuity, and fame, this limited series is set to detail how Franklin ultimately bypassed several opposing forces — including, but not limited to, British spies, hostile colleagues, and French informers — while also, you know, accomplishing feats like "engineering the Franco-American alliance of 1778 and the final peace with England of 1783." This high-profile Apple TV+ limited series, thus, will then serve as a dramatized testament to Franklin's "most vital service to his country," one that America wouldn't have won the Revolution without, you can say without exaggeration.
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At the moment, it's unclear how big of a role Jupe will have in this upcoming, untitled limited series, but the child actor has only continued to prove himself in recent years, notably with his performances in the Quiet Place movies and his lead role in Honey Boy. Most recently, Jupe was seen in HBO Max's No Sudden Move and HBO's The Undoing, and he'll soon appear in Dreamin' Wild, while also lending his voice to Netflix's The Magician's Elephant. Particularly as Apple TV+ continues to bring high-profile talent into their corner, it's no wonder that he is attaching himself to this sure-to-be-talked-about series, and one hopes that it's yet another triumph for the distinguished young performer. We'll have a little bit of time to wait before we find out one way or the other, though.
Since filming has only recently started, it's safe to assume that this Benjamin Franklin series won't make its way onto the streaming service until at least next year.