REELZCHANNEL today announced the highly anticipated dramatic movie event ‘The Kennedys’ will make its world premiere on the network beginning Sunday, April 3, 2011. The story relives the public and private joys and tragedies of the most influential family in the world including fraternal rivalries, mob associations, the drugs and the women. The movie event recreates the political crises that John F. Kennedy dealt with in the early days of his presidency including the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Cuban Missile Crisis that brought the world to the brink of nuclear war and the Civil Rights Movement. Viewers will see every twist and turn of this family’s extraordinary story up to and including the assassinations of JFK and RFK.
“We believe in the business we are committed to – movies, the celebrities making them and how and why they influence our cultural universe. If that means defending the right for well told and important stories to be seen – then so be it – we can do that,” said REELZCHANNEL CEO Stan E. Hubbard. “We’re not beholden to anyone – we are here for the viewers and we are here for the movie and artistic community as well. As an independent, we have the freedom few networks enjoy.”
‘The Kennedys’ boasts an all-star lineup led by Greg Kinnear as John F. Kennedy (JFK), Barry Pepper as Robert F. Kennedy (RFK), Katie Holmes as Jacqueline Kennedy and Tom Wilkinson OBE as Joseph Kennedy, Sr. Oscar-nominated for As Good as it Gets and with starring roles in Little Miss Sunshine among his many credits, Kinnear’s performance is a compelling portrait of America’s most famous and iconic president. Pepper, known for his stirring roles in Saving Private Ryan and The Green Mile, steps into the shoes of the President’s younger brother, his campaign advisor, policy advisor and Attorney General. Katie Holmes inhabits the part of the beautiful first lady. Holmes was propelled into the spotlight in the hit teen series Dawson’s Creek, rising to superstardom in Hollywood movies including a starring role in blockbuster movie Batman Begins. British actor and star of The Full Monty and Shakespeare in Love, Wilkinson plays the Kennedy patriarch whose driving ambition and wealth propelled his sons into the highest offices in the land. British actress Diana Hardcastle (and Wilkinson’s wife) plays Rose Kennedy, the family’s matriarch. Broadway and US TV star Chris Diamantopoulos plays the legendary Frank Sinatra.
The Kennedys is a Muse Entertainment Enterprises production in association with Asylum Entertainment. From the Emmy-Award winning team behind the groundbreaking series 24, the creators are Stephen Kronish and Joel Surnow. The series is directed by John Cassar and the executive producers are Joel Surnow, Jonathan Koch, Steve Michaels, Jon Cassar and Jamie Paul Rock.
As part of the REELZCHANNEL commitment, the network’s original production unit will be fully deployed to shine a light on what TV About Movies means to viewers.
