Is House of Guinness inspired by a true story? Details about Peaky Blinders creator's upcoming period series, explored

Netflix is gearing up to launch another period drama series titled House of Guinness, by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. The Oscar-nominated filmmaker, who gave the world the gritty and stylish tale of the Shelby brothers in 1920s Birmingham, is here with another family feud set in 1860s Dublin.

The period drama series, slated to release on September 25, 2025, is inspired by the real and fascinating story of the Guinness dynasty, the world's largest and richest stout brewing company. The story follows the aftermath of Sir Benjamin Guinness' death in 19th-century Dublin, and how it created a power struggle among his four children.

House of Guinness boasts an impressive cast, including Anthony Boyle, Louis Partridge, Emily Fairn, and Fionn O’Shea, who play Benjamin's four children, Arthur, Edward, Anne, and Benjamin Jr., respectively.

Knight, whose crime series Peaky Blinders was also inspired by the real titular gang in 1880s Birmingham, whisks another real tale of intrigue, stout, and style.

More on this in our story.

House of Guinness: A look inside Europe's most enduring brewing dynasties

Guinness is one of Europe's biggest and richest stout brewing companies, started in 1759 by Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin, Ireland. The brewery has since pumped 'black gold' for the masses, making it the most successful alcohol brand worldwide.

While the roots of the Guinness dynasty were set in 1759, Netflix's House of Guinness promises to transport us to 19th-century Ireland and New York, where the company's foundations are shaken after the death of Sir Benjamin Guinness, grandson of Arthur Guinness. Sir Benjamin was one of the major players responsible for the extraordinary success of his family's brewing company, and his death left a huge question mark on the future of the dynasty.

Sir Benjamin left four children after him, namely Benjamin Jr., Arthur, Anne, and Edward. Knight's House of Guinness is a dramatization of this Succession-esque drama that followed after the death of Sir Benjamin. The period series will closely examine the power vacuum after Benjamin Guinness' death, and the eventual power struggle between his four children, which led to one of the largest breweries in the world.

According to history, Benjamin's will stipulated that Edward and Arthur would have to run the brewery together or forfeit their entire inheritance. While Edward had big business plans to expand his family's legacy to new heights, Arthur was more inclined toward politics. This led Arthur to sell his half-share to his brother, setting the drama for the Netflix series.

Currently, the Guinness Storehouse is an iconic tourist attraction in Dublin, which has welcomed 20 million visitors since its public opening in 2000. Sir Benjamin Guinness and his son Edward's efforts led to their family stout becoming the finest black-hued gold in the world.

House of Guinness: A gritty period drama focusing on a family feud

In an interview with Netflix Tudum, Knight described his upcoming period drama as:

“It’s the extraordinary story of a family who happens to be the inheritors of the biggest brewery in the world. They’re young and are given the task of taking on this incredibly successful brand. The first priority is: Don’t screw it up. And the second priority is to make Guinness even bigger.”

Arthur sold his half-share to Edward in 1876, following which the latter became the sole owner of his father's brewery and took the company to unprecedented heights. While their father had deliberately chained them together, House of Guinness will feature their intertwined paths before their lives took their respective individual turns.

The dynamic between Edward and Arthur is highly reminiscent of that between Tommy and Arthur Shelby in Peaky Blinders. After their father's abandonment, the Shelby brothers were left to fend for themselves, taking on the mammoth task of social mobility for their family. The dynamic between Edward and Arthur forms the core of the story in House of Guinness, and the show will chart their various highs and lows as they live up to their birthright of Black Gold.

House of Guinness will premiere on Netflix on September 25, 2025.

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