National Geographic Channel has confirmed Rob Lowe (Parks and Recreation) will star as President John F. Kennedy in the network’s adaptation of Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard’s bestselling book, Killing Kennedy. And Once Upon a Time‘s Ginnifer Goodwin has been tapped to play First Lady Jackie Kennedy in the two-hour dramatic movie which will begin shooting next month in Richmond, Virginia.
In addition to Lowe and Goodwin, Michelle Trachtenberg has been confirmed to tackle her first Russian-speaking role as Marina Oswald. Nelson McCormick will direct the film, with Kelly Masterson adapting the book for the small screen.
“We are thrilled to be working with Rob Lowe, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Michelle Trachtenberg, three gifted artists whom have responded to this timely, authentic and entertaining material,” stated Howard T. Owens, president of the National Geographic Channels. “With Killing Kennedy, timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the assassination of JFK, National Geographic Channel continues to bring daring, culturally significant television events to our growing global audience.”
The Plot: Killing Kennedy begins in 1959, at major turning points for both the future president and his assassin. John F. Kennedy is in Washington, D.C., announcing his presidential candidacy, while Lee Harvey Oswald finds himself in the U.S. embassy in Moscow, renouncing his U.S. citizenship.
These two events start both men — one a member of one of the United States’ most wealthy and powerful families, the other a disillusioned former Marine and Marxist — on a cataclysmic track that would alter the course of history. Throughout we see their highs and lows, culminating in not one but two shocking deaths that stunned the nation.
