With barely a month left till the premiere of the historical TV show Franklin, Apple TV+ decided to finally unveil the first trailer for the limited series. It stars Michael Douglas (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania) as Benjamin Franklin – one of the Founding Fathers of the United States that helped come up with the Declaration of Independence. The series premieres on April 12.

The trailer for Franklin reveals that, once again, Apple has spared no expense when it came to production values. Franklin’s scope doesn’t seem too different from another Apple historical drama: Oscar-nominated Napoleon. However, in past times, the fact that it was a series would suggest a story told on a limited budget. Now, however, the spectacle is as much part of the series as its intriguing storyline. Franklin will also be set apart by its approach to the title character. While we’ve seen this type of story a thousand times, the Apple TV+ series will focus on how unique Ben Frankin’s story was: At 70 years old and with no diplomatic training whatsoever, the politician managed to use his fame and charisma to outmaneuver the likes of British spies, French informers, and hostile colleagues.

Intrigue and The Birth of America Are Integral Parts of ‘Franklin’

Also underscored by the trailer is the fact that a bunch of things we take for granted today – The United States’ existence, for example – were a matter of life and death in the eighteenth century. In order to claim their newfound country’s independence, Franklin and his fellow politicians had to ask for a lot of favors in order to be able to put together a Revolution. The process didn’t come easy, and it took several years for Great Britain to even consider sitting down and signing a peace treaty.

Franklin is written by Kirk Ellis (John Adams) and Howard Korder (Boardwalk Empire). The duo based the story on the book A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Stacy Schiff. Aside from Douglas, the cast also features Noah Jupe (A Quiet Place), Thibault de Montalembert (All Quiet on the Western Front), Daniel Mays (Line of Duty), Ludivine Sagnier (Lupin), Eddie Marsan (Ray Donovan), Assaad Bouab (Call My Agent!), Jeanne Balibar (Irma Vep) and Theodore Pellerin (There’s Someone Inside Your House).

Apple TV+ premieres Franklin with three episodes on April 12. The remaining five episodes will roll out weekly on Fridays. You can watch the trailer above.

via Collider