The Big Picture
- Apple TV+ is releasing a docuseries The Dynasty: New England Patriots that provides an in-depth look at the successful football team.
- The series has unprecedented access to key figures Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and Robert Kraft, exploring their journey to building a Super Bowl champion team.
- The teaser hints at the inner conflicts between Brady and Belichick, as well as the controversies surrounding the team, while highlighting their remarkable success and larger-than-life personalities.
Apple TV+ is lining up to tackle one of the greatest dynasties in sports history with its new ten-part docuseries The Dynasty: New England Patriots. With unprecedented access to the three key figures responsible for building the NFL juggernaut – quarterback Tom Brady, head coach Bill Belichick, and owner Robert Kraft – the series is billed as the definitive account of the multi-Super Bowl champion team. A new teaser shared today also hints at the inner conflicts behind the nearly 20-year run of sheer dominance.
The Brady-Belichick era kicked off in 2001 with a Super Bowl upset against the then-St. Louis Rams as Brady took the reins from franchise quarterback Drew Bledsoe and became one of football’s most dominant and recognizable players. From that point on, the Patriots would be the envy of the league, missing the playoffs only twice in that time while reaching nine Super Bowls and winning six. Thanks to that dominant run, Brady and Belichick would rack up individual accolades that remain unrivaled in the NFL with record numbers of playoff appearances and victories as well as Super Bowl MVP awards for the superstar quarterback. It didn’t come without controversy, however, as the sign-stealing and football-deflation scandals Spygate and Deflategate hung over their heads. Even with all of that, there was nothing that could stop them at the top of their game.
Success didn’t keep the Patriots from internal strife though. The teaser notes how Brady and Belichick were both the perfect match for each other and also a dangerous mix because “they are two alphas.” Kraft even admits to doing everything in his power to keep the team together towards the end of their remarkable run as the disagreements threatened to tear them apart. Based on the book by New York Times bestselling book by Jeff Benedict, The Dynasty will explore the full football journey, including how the chemistry of these three figures made the team so explosive, and yet, privately, it was blowing up in their faces. This is a tale of unparalleled success, larger-than-life personalities, drama between warring factions, and the cost of everything.
‘The Dynasty: New England Patriots’ Brings Together a Talented Documentary Team
Image via Sports Illustrated
Having Brady, Belichick, and Kraft aboard to tell their sides of the story is already an encouraging sign for The Dynasty, but it also comes from a stacked group of documentary filmmakers. Directing the film is Emmy nominee Matthew Hamachek, who previously served as a director and producer for the Tiger Woods docuseries Tiger. The series is also produced by Imagine Documentaries, the banner created by Oscar winners Ron Howard and Brian Grazer who both worked on the project individually.
For at least one member of the Patriots dynasty, the future is bright. Now that he’s officially retired, Brady is preparing to step into the broadcast booth in 2024 under an agreement he signed with Fox back in 2022 for ten years and $375 million USD to become an NFL analyst for the network. Earlier this year, he also waded into filmmaking as a producer and star of 80 for Brady alongside Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, Lily Tomlin, and Sally Field. Belichick and Kraft, meanwhile, are still committed to the Patriots, though their fortunes have soured considerably since Brady’s departure.
The Dynasty: New England Patriots premieres on Apple TV+ on February 16. Check out the teaser below.