There's a peculiar thrill in watching history dressed up like high-stakes theater. The Guinness family has always been synonymous with stout, but in Steven Knight's hands their empire becomes a battlefield. Netflix dropped the first official trailer for House of Guinness, and it's the kind of debut that feels more operatic than a brewery drama should. The series premieres globally on September 25, 2025—a fall slot that suggests Netflix sees this as prestige bait.
Knight—who already spun Birmingham gangsters into global icons with Peaky Blinders—now shifts his gaze to 19th-century Dublin and New York, tracing the aftermath of Sir Benjamin Guinness's death. His fortune, his legacy, his shadow: all of it hangs over four heirs forced into roles they may not be built for. There's Arthur (Anthony Boyle), steely but brittle; Edward (Louis Partridge), the golden son with everything to lose; Anne (Emily Fairn), overlooked but vital; and Ben (Fionn O'Shea), a figure already straining under expectation.
The trailer wastes no time evoking power struggles that echo Game of Thrones—not with dragons, but with barrels and bloodlines. Everyone looks one toast away from betrayal. And maybe that's the point. Families don't fracture politely. They implode, and Knight loves to linger in that implosion.
Casting is robust, even indulgent. James Norton (Happy Valley) strides in as Sean Rafferty, while Game of Thrones alums Jack Gleeson and Michael McElhatton add sly familiarity. Danielle Galligan (Shadow and Bone) and Dervla Kirwan (True Detective: Night Country) round out an ensemble that seems built to clash. Honestly, it's almost too much talent for one brewing dynasty. Gorgeous. Grating. Gorgeous again.
Behind the camera, Tom Shankland (The Long Shadow) and Mounia Akl (Costa Brava, Lebanon) split directing duties, bringing what looks like grit polished to a sheen. And Knight isn't just the writer—he's executive producing, alongside Karen Wilson, Elinor Day, Martin Haines, Tom Shankland, and Ivana Lowell. This is Kudos and Nebulastar's baby, but Netflix clearly knows how to frame it for maximum impact: thunderous score, dimly lit halls, one line in the trailer that lands like a punch—“Who will keep their head?”
Maybe that's what makes House of Guinness intriguing. We're conditioned to see dynasties as static marble, names etched into history. Knight reminds us they were messy, vengeful, deeply human. And if the Guinness pint is dark, the family's story looks darker still.
What Stands Out in the House of Guinness Trailer
Steven Knight's return to dynastic drama
After Peaky Blinders, Knight proves he isn't done reshaping history into operatic conflict.
A fall release with weight
September 25, 2025, isn't random—it's Netflix positioning this as awards-season conversation material.
A powerhouse ensemble
From Anthony Boyle to James Norton, the casting blends rising talent with established scene-stealers.
Visual grit and grandeur
Shankland and Akl frame Dublin and New York as arenas of both commerce and carnage.
A family saga that feels mythic
The Guinness heirs aren't just inheriting wealth—they're inheriting a curse, and the trailer makes that clear.
So, what do you think—does House of Guinness look like a prestige triumph in the making, or just Peaky Blinders poured into a different glass? 🍺
