In “Manhunt”, available on Apple TV+, Tobias Menzies (“Outlander”) investigates the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and sets out to track down his murderer, John Wilkes Booth.
What is it about ?
The consequences of the first assassination of an American president, Abraham Lincoln, and the fight of those close to him to preserve and protect his ideals.
12 days to find Booth
This is an ambitious new series that Apple TV+ is offering to its subscribers. Manhunt, adapted from the best-selling book “Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer” by James Swanson, takes us to the end of the Civil War. More particularly in 1865. It is in this context that the President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, will be assassinated on April 15. Who ordered this murder and why? This is what we will discover throughout season 1.
Manhunt is what Apple TV+ does best, with impeccable production and remarkable actors. All eyes are on the two headliners, Tobias Menzies (Outlander, The Crown) and Anthony Boyle (Tolkien).
The first, who no longer needs to be introduced, takes on the role of Edwin Stanton, Secretary of State for War and close advisor to Lincoln. It is he who will lead the 12-day manhunt which will lead to the capture of the murderer.
An assassination that made famous
As for Anthony Boyle, he plays John Wilkes Booth brilliantly. This theater actor who did not have the same success as his father, shared the same political ideas as the Confederate Army of the South, and spoke out against the abolition of slavery.
With numerous accomplices, he hatched a plot with the aim of having various political figures killed. As he wished, his name would become famous for being the first to assassinate a sitting President.
The Apple TV+ series dissects, with lots of flashbacks, the last days of the life of Abraham Lincoln (played by a transformed Hamish Linklater). If you like historical thrillers or want to learn more about American history, Manhunt is for you!