Netflix drops first look at House of Guinness, Steven Knight’s period saga with a star-studded cast

House of Guinness arrives with first-look images and a clear date on the calendar, setting up a fall launch for Steven Knight’s next period powerhouse. Netflix has locked September 25, 2025, for the global premiere, with all eight episodes arriving the same day.

The story opens in 1860s Dublin and New York, right after Sir Benjamin Guinness’s death, and follows how his will binds the heirs to the brewery and to each other. The first photos preview boardrooms, funeral black, and the heat of the brewhouse, pointing to a legacy saga that balances family duty with industrial ambition.

Anthony Boyle leads as Arthur Guinness, with Louis Partridge as brother Edward, Emily Fairn as Anne, and Fionn O’Shea as Ben. James Norton plays fixer Sean Rafferty. House of Guinness is positioned as a tight, character-first drama rather than a sprawling biopic, with an emphasis on inheritance, power, and the business of stout. A trailer and episode details are still pending, but the first look plants strong markers.

Release date, images, and what’s locked vs. still TBA

Netflix has set House of Guinness for Thursday, September 25, 2025, as a binge release of eight episodes worldwide. The first-look stills emphasise mourning attire, cavernous interiors, and a charged factory floor, suggesting a series that moves between aristocratic display and labour reality.

As per the Netflix Tudum report dated August 18, 2025, Steven Knight said,

“The first priority is: Don’t screw it up. And the second priority is to make Guinness even bigger.”

What’s confirmed: title, core premise, cast slate, creative team, and premiere model. What’s still under wraps: runtimes, episode titles, and trailer timing. For launch-day logistics and the full cast card,

Netflix’s first-look package remains the primary source of record. House of Guinness uses its photo set to telegraph tone rather than reveal plot turns, which keeps the pressure on the premiere week push.

House of Guinness: The premise and players inside the Guinness dynasty

House of Guinness begins with the will reading and its shocking clause. Arthur and Edward must jointly run the brewery or lose everything, while Anne and Ben face altered futures shaped by the same legal bind. As per the Netflix Tudum report dated August 18, 2025, Steven Knight remarked,

“Before he died, their father very deliberately chained Arthur and Edward together in responsibility for the brewery. You’ll find out why when you watch.”

The show’s frame is 1860s Dublin and New York, with street agitation and parliamentary ambitions pressing in on family strategy. Norton’s Rafferty widens the canvas to the factory floor and enforcement politics. As per the GQ report dated August 19, 2025, Steven Knight said,

“If you were writing fiction....you’d invent that, and people would say, ‘Really?’ But this is real.”

Underscoring how the joint-stewardship hook springs from documented history. The tone cues come straight from the creator. As per the Radio Times report dated March 15, 2024, Steven Knight stated,

“The Guinness dynasty is known the world over – wealth, poverty, power, influence, and great tragedy are all intertwined to create a rich tapestry of material to draw from”

That brief reads like a series bible and matches the power-play hints in the images. House of Guinness keeps the focus on choice, consequence, and the price of a name.

The creative team and how the world was built

House of Guinness is created and executive produced by Knight, with executives Karen Wilson, Elinor Day, Martin Haines, Tom Shankland, and Ivana Lowell. Cahal Bannon serves as series producer, with Howard Burch as producer. Shankland directs four episodes; Mounia Akl directs two.

The production is by Kudos. The show’s build leans on North West England, standing in for 1860s Dublin, including Liverpool’s Stanley Dock reimagined as St. James’s Gate, plus stately homes for the family’s sphere. The factory textures, steam, rails, and barrel lines are designed to stage both commerce and conflict.

This team’s choices aim for a grounded, contemporary read on 19th-century capital and charisma. That approach fits Knight’s track record: tight character engines, sharp politics, and a sense of place that doubles as a pressure cooker.

As the first-look press lays out, House of Guinness is built to travel globally while staying rooted in Irish industry and family law. Expect the show to connect the public brand to private leverage, one boardroom, and one boil kettle, at a time.

Stay tuned for more updates.