Manhunt: The Crown's Tobias Menzies Will Hunt Lincoln's Assassin In New Apple Series
Your favorite man to hate on "The Crown" (or at least, my favorite man to hate on "The Crown") is leaving his role as Prince Philip behind and diving into the wild world of historical true crime (because history is the true crime to end all true crimes). Tobias Menzies, who also starred in "Outlander" and "Game of Thrones," has officially joined the cast of "Manhunt" on Apple TV+, and if you're into that delightful intersection of history, true crime (take a drink every time you read this genre) and Emmy Award-winning British actors, get ready for this show to have an absolute chokehold on your life when it finally debuts.
Based on the book "Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer" by James Swanson, "Manhunt" is a limited series being billed as "part historical fiction, part conspiracy thriller" about Abraham Lincoln's assassination and its aftermath. Menzies will be playing the role of Edwin Stanton, Lincoln's war secretary, who was almost driven crazy by his obsession with catching John Wilkes Booth and keeping Lincoln's Reconstruction plans alive.
"Manhunt" will also feature historical figures like Mary Simms, who had been enslaved to the doctor who treated and helped hide Booth, though Simms, Booth and Lincoln have yet to be cast. It sounds like the story will take Lincoln's assassination beyond the realm of Booth and focus on the other figures who played a role in this important time in history, which already makes it seem much more interesting than the entirety of the movie "Lincoln."
Bring On the Niche Genres
"Manhunt" was created and written by Monica Beletsky ("The Leftovers," "Friday Night Lights"), who will also serve as showrunner and executive producer. She'll be joined by Carl Franklin ("Mindhunter") who is attached as a director and executive producer. And speaking of producers, that team includes Layne Eskridge and James Swanson, as well as production companies Apple Studios and Lionsgate, in association with POV Entertainment, Walden Media, and 3 Arts Entertainment. Obviously there's already a lot of talent involved in this show; considering Beletsky's work ranges from dark and existential to heartwarming and optimistic, it's hard to say what "Manhunt" will end up looking like and what tone it will take, but we're excited to find out.
"Manhunt" is a part of a whole suite of new Apple TV+ shows that have recently been announced, including "WeCrashed" and "Masters of the Air." It doesn't sound like Apple will be giving up on their streaming service anytime soon, if anything, they're diversifying beyond standout hits like "Ted Lasso" and digging into the more niche genres that will draw in more people. Like historical true crime.