From Peaky Blinders writer comes House of Guinness: a drama full of history, hops and James Norton

House of Guinness cast member James Norton

by Arabella Horspool |
Updated on

If you're missing Tommy Shelby, don't worry, there’s a new Peaky Blinders film on the way, and it's creator Steven Knight has also been busy writing House of Guinness, an epic historical drama coming to Netflix.

The series will tell the story of one of Ireland’s most iconic families, tracing the rise of the Guinness brewing empire amidst power struggles, ambition and feuds. One of its stars, James Norton told Digital Spy that he thinks it's "Steven Knight at his absolute best".

"He's firing on all cylinders. He loves the show. He loves the characters."

Sounds exciting, right? While we wait for the intriguing new drama, here's everything you need to know about the plot, cast and potential release date.

What is House of Guinness about?

Set in 19th-century Dublin and New York, House of Guinness is an eight-part series that follows the death of brewing titan Benjamin Guinness. As the man behind the brand’s explosive growth, his passing sets off a chain reaction, as his cunning final wishes thrust his four adult children - Arthur, Edward, Anne, and Ben -into a fierce battle over legacy, power, and identity. Meanwhile, a web of Dubliners - workers, allies, and rivals - find their lives upended by the unstoppable force the Guinness name has become.

Speaking of the series, Anne Mensah, Netflix Vice President of UK Content said: "Steve Knight’s scripts read like pages torn out of a classic novel, spinning the story of the four heirs to the Guinness fortune, and how their lives and loves are changed by it overnight. We cannot wait to see this story come to life through Tom Shankland’s inspired vision and his breathtaking cast."

Cast of House of Guinness

Anthony Boyle (Masters of the Air, Ordeal By Innocence) as Arthur Guinness
Louis Partridge (Enola Holmes, Paddington 2) as Edward Guinness
Emily Fairn (The Responder, Mary & George) as Anne Plunket (née Guinness)
Fionn O’Shea (Normal People, Hang Ups) as Benjamin Guinness
James Norton (Happy Valley, War & Peace) as Sean Rafferty
Seamus O’Hara (Blue Lights, An Irish Goodbye) as Patrick Cochrane
Niamh McCormack (Everything Now, Who We Love) as Ellen Cochrane
Dervla Kirwan (True Detective: Night Country, The Stranger) as Aunt Agnes Guinness
Jack Gleeson (Game of Thrones, The Famous Five) as Byron Hedges
Danielle Galligan (Shadow and Bone, Obituary) as Lady Olivia Hedges
David Wilmot (Station Eleven, Anna Karenina) as Bonnie Champion
Michael McElhatton (Game of Thrones, The Zookeeper's Wife) as John Potter
Hilda Fay (The Woman in the Wall, Whistleblower) as Sultan

The show's creator said he was delighted to have a star-studded cast: “I am thrilled that we have such an exceptional cast and such an exceptional team to tell this story inspired by an exceptional family."

House Of Guinness actor James Norton, who's also starring in the upcoming period drama King & Conqueror, shared that he’s having a ball working on the series, despite trying to master a Dublin accent. "It's an amazing group of people, a lot of Irish actors, lots of Guinness, I'm the only non-Irish interloper who ironically is playing the most Irish of them all, I've got to be as Dubs as they come," he explained to Digital Spy.

House of Guinness filming locations

The cast and crew of House of Guinness have been filming in Liverpool and Stockport in Greater Manchester.

In summer 2024, Grantchester star James Norton was spotted filming fight scenes for the programme.

When does House of Guinness come out?

House of Guinness doesn't have a release date yet, but Netflix has announced that it will be available to stream at some point in 2025.

Arabella Horspool is a Commercial Content Writer for Yours at Bauer Media. She's a bookworm who is passionate about TV, film and theatre. She enjoys cooking, cinema trips, playing board games and walking her three dogs.

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