Garfield's Killer: A Tale of Madness and Ambition

Mike Makowsky stumbled upon "Destiny of the Republic" by Candice Millard, a book detailing President James Garfield's assassination. This discovery led to the Netflix miniseries "Death by Lightning," which Makowsky developed. The series contrasts the journeys of President Garfield and his assassin, Charles Guiteau. Makowsky aimed to capture the historical events with an irreverent, contemporary tone, adding dramatization while striving for factual accuracy.

The adaptation process was arduous, with Makowsky initially envisioning a six-episode series before settling on four. The project gained significant traction when "Game of Thrones" creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss joined as producers. With a star-studded cast including Michael Shannon, Matthew Macfadyen, and Nick Offerman, "Death by Lightning" became a notable production, despite initial confusion about its title, which references a quote by Garfield.