‘House of Guinness’, the new historical drama series from Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, has released its first full trailer, and it looks like things are about to get very messy for one of Europe’s most famous families.
The story begins with the death of Sir Benjamin Guinness, patriarch of the wealthy brewing dynasty. His passing forces his four children into a battle over inheritance when the contents of his will are revealed. What should have been a straightforward division of wealth quickly turns into a storm of resentment and ambition. Knight himself describes the setup as “a deceased father deciding the fate of his children,” adding that none of them are happy with what they receive. The trailer makes clear that this is just the start of a saga that will shape both the family and Ireland’s future.
Anthony Boyle (Masters of the Air) takes the role of eldest son Arthur, suddenly thrust into the position of head of the family. Arthur is more interested in drinking, smoking, and living it up in London than maintaining the family empire, yet he cannot escape the obligations chained to him by blood and fortune. His younger brother Edward, played by Louis Partridge (Enola Holmes), is the opposite. Edward has spent his life preparing to run the Guinness brewery. Principled, focused, and ambitious, he sees himself as the true steward of the family legacy. The trailer shows the brothers at constant odds, bound together by duty but torn apart by clashing ideals.
The Guinness sisters add further complication. Emily Fairn (Somewhere Boy) plays Anne, while Fionn O’Shea (Normal People) steps in as Ben, each with their own struggles over power, money, and identity. Hovering around them all is brewery foreman Sean Rafferty, played by BAFTA-nominee James Norton (Happy Valley). Rafferty is charming, politically aware, and clearly capable of stirring trouble, as the trailer hints at rebellion bubbling within Dublin.
The eight-episode drama leaps between Dublin and New York, placing the Guinness heirs in a world where wealth collides with unrest. The footage teases gunfire, explosions, and whispered conspiracies in smoky halls, set against the rise of Irish rebellion. Knight notes that the characters’ personal decisions have consequences far beyond their own family, carrying implications for the fate of Ireland itself.
Boyle has already teased Arthur as a man who would rather “have sex, drink, smoke, and have the craic” than shoulder responsibility, while Partridge describes Edward as confident, assertive, and determined to lead. Norton promises viewers a series that is “playful, funny, smoky, sexy” with a deep family dynamic at its heart.
Knight has also explained his approach to building the story. With no social media posts or diaries to dig through from the 1800s, he pieced together character arcs from real-life events and achievements of the Guinness family. From there, he created a fictionalised but faithful version of history, filling in the blanks with drama that feels authentic to the period.
The trailer paints House of Guinness as a volatile mix of family drama, political intrigue, and lavish period setting. Viewers can expect a tale of inheritance and rebellion that is as explosive as the gunpowder glimpsed on screen.
‘House of Guinness’ Season 1 premieres Wednesday, 25th September 2025 on Netflix.
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