A new Netflix series tells the story of a presidential assassination, and its source material was written by a Kansas City author.
“Death by Lightning” dramatizes the life of President James Garfield, who rose from obscurity to political power before his assassination in 1881, six months into his term. It stars Michael Shannon as Garfield and Matthew Macfadyen as Charles Guiteau, his assassin.
The four-episode miniseries was inspired by Kansas City author Candice Millard’s 2011 book, “Destiny of the Republic.” Millard says the show’s creators took some creative license. But ultimately, it stays true to the heart of the story, something that not every author can say about adaptations of their work.
“I have friends who this has happened to, they've had their books turned into movies or series, and often it's not a good experience,” Millard told KCUR’s Up To Date. “I've had the complete opposite, just pure luck. Mike (Makowsky, the show’s creator) has always included me. I love what he created. So it's just been really fun.”
- Candice Millard, New York Times bestselling author
