Netflix’s upcoming historical miniseries Kennedy is now filming in the Czech Republic, with Prague and Liberec doubling for multiple European locations in a story tracing the early life of John F. Kennedy and the rise of one of America’s most influential political families.
The eight-part series, produced by Chernin Entertainment, is positioned as a sweeping, multi-season chronicle of the Kennedy dynasty. Based on Fredrik Logevall’s JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917–1956, the first season focuses on the early years of the family’s political dynasty. Michael Fassbender plays family patriarch Joseph Kennedy Sr., with Joshuah Melnick as a young JFK.
Filming is now underway across multiple Czech locations after kicking off in London earlier this year, with local production activity offering insight into how the series will depict a formative period in the future U.S. President’s history—particularly a 1937 trip across France, Italy, and Germany that shaped JFK’s worldview in the years leading up to World War II.
Czech locations stand in for pre-war Europe
Filming for Kennedy has recently moved into northern Bohemia, where Liberec’s historic center and the Liebieg Town district are being transformed into 1930s Europe. According to local officials, filming is taking place around the city’s town hall and the F. X. Šalda Theatre, with surrounding streets temporarily redressed using period flags and set decoration to evoke the political climate of the era.
Father and Son!
— UnBoxPHD (@UnBoxPHD) March 3, 2026
Michael Fassbender and Joshuah Melnick in Netflix's, 'The Kennedys'. pic.twitter.com/CheZ8nWngI
The Liberec shoot is tied to sequences depicting Kennedy’s travels with his close friend Lem Billings, a journey that exposed the future U.S. president to a continent on the brink of war. Contemporary accounts from the trip describe encounters with fascist imagery in Italy and growing militarization in Germany, offering narrative material that aligns with the series’ focus on political awakening.
Prague will serve as another key production hub in the coming days, with filming expected both on location and in studio. According to local sources, filming is set to take place in the vicinity of Pařížská Street, one of the city’s most architecturally distinctive areas. The location is likely to double for Paris and possibly German cities visited during the 1937 trip.
Casting notices suggest that the Prague shoot will specifically recreate moments from that summer journey, including sequences set in France and Germany. While Prague itself was not part of Kennedy’s 1937 itinerary, the city’s preserved historic architecture makes it a frequent stand-in for multiple European capitals in international productions.
The Czech Republic has long attracted foreign shoots for period projects, thanks to its combination of varied locations, experienced crews, and competitive production incentives. Liberec in particular has hosted projects such as Spider-Man: Far From Home and the series Carnival Row and World on Fire, reinforcing its reputation as a flexible filming location.
A global series with local production footprint
While filming in Czechia represents only part of the overall production schedule, it underscores the international scope of Kennedy. Principal photography on the series began earlier this year in the United Kingdom.
The project is led by showrunner Sam Shaw, known for Manhattan and Castle Rock, with Danish director Thomas Vinterberg attached to direct. Michael Fassbender is set to portray Joseph Kennedy Sr., the family patriarch whose political ambitions and influence shaped the trajectory of his children, including future president John F. Kennedy.
Joshuah Melnick stars as the young JFK, then known as Jack Kennedy, with Cole Doman as Lem Billings, the close friend who accompanied him in Europe. The series also stars Laura Donnelly as Rose Kennedy, Nick Robinson as Joe Kennedy Jr., Lydia Peckham as Rosemary Kennedy, Saura Lightfoot-Leon as Kick Kennedy, Ben Miles as Eddie Moore, and Imogen Poots as Gloria Swanson.
Fassbender may not appear in the Czech-shot scenes, as the sequences center on JFK’s youth and travels rather than his father’s political career. The 1937 European trip, undertaken when Kennedy was in his early twenties, is widely seen by historians as a formative experience that deepened his understanding of international politics.
Although Kennedy did not visit Prague during that specific journey, historical records indicate he returned to the city in 1939, during the Nazi occupation, while his father was serving as U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom. That later visit has been cited by historians as further evidence of Kennedy’s early exposure to European geopolitical tensions.
For Czech film professionals, the production adds to a steady pipeline of high-profile international projects choosing the country as a filming base. While the scale of the Czech shoot for Kennedy has not been officially confirmed, local activity in both Prague and Liberec suggests a substantial on-the-ground presence.
As filming continues, the project highlights the Czech Republic’s ongoing role in global television production—particularly for historical dramas requiring authentic European settings.
Lead photo: A young John F. Kennedy at the Château de Chambord, France, July 19, 1937 courtesy John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
