NEED TO KNOW

• Netflix’s four-part Dynasty: The Murdochs premieres March 13 with thousands of pages of private emails, texts and documents never before seen on television
• The docuseries arrives while the Murdoch family trust lawsuit remains unresolved after a Nevada court found Rupert and Lachlan acted in “bad faith”
• Netflix is profiling the same family whose network it now directly competes against for advertising dollars and cultural influence

NEW YORK, NY (TDR) — Netflix released the first trailer Thursday for Dynasty: The Murdochs, a four-part documentary series chronicling the internal power struggle inside the family that controls Fox News, The Wall Street Journal and a global media empire spanning three continents.

The series premieres March 13. What most coverage won’t tell you is the competitive subtext: Netflix is now a direct rival to Fox in the fight for advertising revenue, live sports audiences and cultural real estate — and it’s producing a documentary designed to expose the internal mechanics of a competitor’s parent company.

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What The Series Promises

Directed by two-time Academy Award nominee Liz Garbus — the filmmaker behind Netflix’s record-breaking Harry & Meghan docuseries — the project is produced by Story Syndicate, which has become one of the streamer’s most reliable documentary partners.

The series claims access to thousands of pages of documents, emails and text messages never before seen on television. It features interviews with journalists who covered the family’s legal battles, including New York Times reporters Jim Rutenberg and Jonathan Mahler, NPR’s David Folkenflik, tech journalist Kara Swisher and former Fox News employees.

“It reads like an episode of Succession.” — Trailer commentary, Dynasty: The Murdochs

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The official logline frames the project around a central question: “Is a dynasty a family or a business?” For the Murdochs, the series argues, the two have never been separate.

The Trust Battle Netflix Is Documenting

The timing is no accident. The docuseries arrives with the Murdoch family trust lawsuit still unresolved and likely heading to appeal.

In December 2024, Nevada Probate Commissioner Edmund Gorman Jr. ruled against Rupert Murdoch‘s attempt to rewrite his irrevocable family trust. The trust — established in 1999 — divides control equally among his four eldest children upon his death: Lachlan, James, Elisabeth and Prudence MacLeod.

Rupert wanted that changed. He petitioned the court to consolidate all voting power under Lachlan, his eldest son and ideological heir, arguing it was necessary to preserve Fox News’ conservative editorial direction — and therefore its commercial value.

Gorman’s 96-page ruling was devastating.

“A carefully crafted charade to permanently cement Lachlan Murdoch’s executive roles regardless of the impacts such control would have over the companies or the beneficiaries.” — Commissioner Edmund Gorman Jr.

James, Elisabeth and Prudence — who hold more moderate political views than their father or brother — welcomed the ruling. James notably endorsed Kamala Harris for president in 2024 and resigned from the News Corp board in 2020 over editorial disagreements. A spokesperson for the three siblings expressed hope that the family could “move beyond this litigation to focus on strengthening and rebuilding relationships.”

Rupert’s attorney, Adam Streisand, said his client was disappointed and intended to appeal.

The Competitive Angle No One’s Discussing

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