The miniseries is based on Candice Millard's 2011 nonfiction book 'Destiny of the Republic', which chronicles the assassination of President James A. Garfield.

Michael Shannon was drawn to playing President James A. Garfield precisely because he himself knew almost nothing about the historical figure before taking the role.

Matthew Macfadyen, who plays assassin Charles J. Guiteau, compared his interpretation of the character to Syndrome, the villain from Pixar's 'The Incredibles'.

Stephen McKinley Henderson was originally cast in a recurring role but was later replaced by Barry Shabaka Henley before filming.

Filming took place in Budapest, beginning on July 1, 2024, and wrapping in October of the same year.

Composer Ramin Djawadi was announced to score the series just weeks before its premiere, in October 2025.

The series received widespread critical acclaim, holding a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 69 critics and a Metacritic score of 80/100 indicating 'universal acclaim'.

The American Film Institute named Death by Lightning one of the ten best television programs of the year.