James Norton and Louis Partridge are amongst the stars who will appear in the show, which will premiere later this year

HOUSE OF GUINNESS HAS UNVEILED IT’S FIRST LOOK AT THE DYNASTY CHRONICLE HEADING TO NETFLIX

 © 2024 Netflix, Inc.
It’s a generational story that almost defies belief, and it’s set for the streaming treatment. So fasten your fur coats and fix your thinly veiled hats, for the first glimpse of House of Guinness has landed. The Netflix series, written by Steven Knight – creator of Peaky Blinders, and, as recently announced, the next James Bond film writer – stars young talents Louis Partridge and Anthony Boyle alongside seasoned actors James Norton and Dervla Kirwan. The new photographs have been shared along with an official announcement of the Netflix release date. Get your stout poured, House of Guinness will descend the streaming giant on 25 September.

‘Your first look at Steven Knight’s House Of Guinness, following the rebellion, power and scandal of the Guinness brewery in 19th century Dublin,’ penned the official Netflix account to caption not one, not two, not three, but eleven new photographs of the series. Revealing the haunting dynasty, the images begin to tell the story of the Guinnesses – a real life family of Anglo-Irish billionaires of which decadence and decay were known to follow.

JAMES NORTON JUST STARRED AS KING HAROLD IN THE BBC’S BATTLE OF HASTINGS MEDIEVAL DRAMA, KING & CONQUEROR

‘If I had been poor, I would have been happy’ were the last words uttered by Lady Henrietta Guinness before her untimely death. The haunting finality may best sum up the tragedies that went on to befall her family. Dubbed ‘The Guinness Curse’, this hereditary affliction has followed the dynasty ever since Arthur Guinness opened his brewery at St James’ Gate, Dublin, back in 1759.

With £100 bequeathed to him from his godfather, the young Irishman signed on the dotted line for a 9,000 year lease. Who can say whether he could foresee the heights to which the branches of his family tree would climb – billion-pound empires stretching across banking, religion, and politics; titles bestowed by Queen Victoria; wealth surpassing not only any man in Ireland, but the King of England.

The Netflix series will pick up in 19th-century Dublin and New York, immediately after the death of Sir Benjamin Guinness, the man responsible for the extraordinary success of the Guinness brewery. The narrative will follow the far-reaching impact of his will on the fate of his four adult children, Arthur, Edward, Anne, and Ben, as well as on a group of Dublin characters who work and interact with the phenomenon that is Guinness.

‘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,’ commented Knight when House of Guinness was commissioned. ‘I’ve always been fascinated by their stories and am excited to bring the characters to life.’

LOUIS PARTRIDGE HAS ALREADY PROVEN HIMSELF TO BE QUITE THE ACTOR, HOLDING HIS OWN ALONGSIDE SCREEN ICONS LIKE HUGH GRANT AND JULIE WALTERS IN PADDINGTON 2, OR BRYAN CRANSTON IN ARGYLE.

 Ben Blackall/Netflix
It’s no wonder Knight sees the ’Guinnessty’ as ripe for TV treatment: a family dating back to the early 18th century that currently holds a fortune of over £900 million, over the decades its members have been plagued by misfortune, to that extent that a ‘black curse’ is said to hover over the name.

In the first-look pictures, Tatler favourite James Norton looks noble in his top hat. The leading man is a period piece aficionado, having just starred as King Harold in the BBC’s Battle of Hastings medieval drama, King & Conqueror. Elsewhere, Louis Partridge (Olivia Rodrigo’s British boyfriend) pours a glass of the black stuff. The 22-year-old has already proven himself to be quite the actor, holding his own alongside screen icons like Hugh Grant and Julie Walters in Paddington 2, or Bryan Cranston in Argyle.

All of Benjamin Guinness’ children look suitably terrifying in a family portrait, where Anthony Boyle (Masters of the Air); Emily Fairn (Mary & George); and Fionn O’Shea (Normal People) join Louis as the fabled scions.

With its allusions to the grimoires of Edgar Allan Poe, earlier behind-the-scenes photographs showed a black-overcoat-clad James Norton kicking his co-stars to the cobbled streets of Liverpool. So, it appears the series, produced by Kudos and Nebulastar, will be delving straight into the gothic darkness promised by its premise.