As Coach Bill Belichick ascended the stage for Tom Brady's roast, he seized the moment to poke fun at the ten-episode docuseries, "The Dynasty," which chronicled the illustrious era of the New England Patriots under his tutelage. "I'm profoundly honored to be here for Tom Brady's roasting on Netflix," he quipped. "Just don't mistake it for my own roasting in that ten-part Apple TV series."
The perception that "The Dynasty" harbors an anti-Belichick bias has been fueled publicly by former players, some of whom participated in the documentary, and further amplified by the Boston sports media. However, in an interview with IndieWire, director Matt Hamachek dismissed the criticism with ease.
"I had no vested interest in this controversy," Hamachek insisted. "I believe much of the backlash likely stems from Bill's departure from the team." What Hamachek alluded to was the series' ultimate revelation, and the climax of its behind-the-scenes drama, which unfolded off-screen just a month before its premiere. In January 2024, Belichick was unceremoniously ousted from the Patriots organization by owner Robert Kraft, after guiding the team to six Super Bowl victories in his 24-year coaching tenure.
"I'm still in disbelief," Hamachek confessed, having spent three years delving into the inner workings of the Patriots. "I thought Bill Belichick would stay until he chose to retire, after surpassing Don Shula's coaching wins record." Hamachek's documentary was already in the final stages of editing when the Belichick news broke on ESPN, but he acknowledged that it was impossible to view his work without the context of Kraft's decision to part ways with the coach widely hailed as the greatest of all time.
"I have no insight into the decision-making process," Hamachek said. "But if you watch the docuseries in the light of what transpired, and listen closely to some of Robert Kraft's statements, I think you'll start to understand. The clues are there, like breadcrumbs leading you to the truth." Kraft, now 83, opened up to Hamachek's camera more than anyone else, revealing things he had once denied publicly, including the simmering tensions between Belichick and Brady in their final years, his struggle to maintain team cohesion, and his blaming Belichick for not playing cornerback Malcolm Butler in the Patriots' Super Bowl 52 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
As Hamachek reflected on the 2017 season, he noted instances where the Krafts, particularly Robert's son Jonathan, who serves as the team's president, publicly dismissed any notion of internal tensions or dysfunction. "Yet, it was later revealed that there were indeed other dynamics at play," he said. This backdrop has sparked speculation that the docuseries was, in essence, a Kraft-orchestrated attempt to discredit Belichick. Critics have pointed to the series' origins in Jeff Benedict's eponymous book, to which Kraft granted unfettered access, and its subsequent development under the guidance of Brian Glazer, Kraft's close personal friend and executive producer.
Kraft himself has attempted to distance himself from the series, expressing a desire for it to focus more on the team's triumphs. He emphasized that granting access and the "Copyright Kraft Dynasty 2024" watermark at the end of each episode did not equate to any creative control. Hamachek concurred in his interview with IndieWire, verifying that Kraft's involvement was limited.
According to the Boston Globe, the Krafts' spokesperson went even further, clarifying that the documentary was a gesture of favor toward their friends Glazer and executive producer Ron Howard, rather than the other way around. Hamachek, when asked about the Glazer-Kraft speculation, responded with a measured candor. "I can't possibly recount private conversations between two prominent figures as I wasn't privy to them," he said. "I understand the curiosity, but frankly, it wasn't part of my narrative."
Hamachek's approach is not one of evasion; it's a cautious adherence to factual accuracy. When queried about Belichick's benching of Butler in Super Bowl 52, he hesitated before responding, noting that while he had heard numerous theories, he would not include them in the series unless corroborated by the individuals involved.
In the context of his filmmaking process, Hamachek sees the Kraft-Glazer connection as peripheral. He explained that his pitch to Kraft was similar to that of any potential subject: "Documentaries offer a unique opportunity to shape narratives in diverse ways. Your stories will inform me, a layperson with only a superficial understanding of the Patriots. But I yearn to hear what transpired behind those closed doors." Kraft embraced this invitation, offering remarkably personal and emotional insights, even taking viewers inside a private meeting at his home with Brady and his then-wife Gisele Bündchen, where, according to Kraft, the passionate supermodel voiced her disapproval of Belichick's treatment of "her Tommy."
But the cameras of "The Dynasty" didn't just capture Kraft's openness. Many of Belichick's players, who had adhered to the coach's strict media silence for years, suddenly let their guards down and shared stories from behind the scenes. Many of them now reflect on this with a touch of regret. "The players were thrilled to have a voice," Hamachek reflected. "I hesitate to speak for them, but it felt like a dam had burst within an organization that had kept everyone under wraps for so long. It was a moment of liberation, where people felt free to speak out."
Having just wrapped up "Tiger," an HBO docuseries where the legendary golfer declined to participate, Hamachek braced himself for telling the Patriots' tale without the franchise's marquee names. But "The Dynasty" brought an unexpected collective catharsis, a journalist's dream come true. "As I interviewed one person, they shared a few anecdotes, and when I moved on to the next, I mentioned, 'So-and-so mentioned this to me,' and they too began to open up," Hamachek recounted. "By the time I reached the tenth interviewee, it was clear that everyone was talking. And that's our job—to create a space where untold stories can finally be heard."
The biggest revelation for Hamachek was how Brady, the megastar, approached the documentary. "Initially, I anticipated Brady arriving with an entourage, hair and makeup teams, and a whole support system," Hamachek said. "Instead, he drove himself, alone, and simply sat down and asked, 'What would you like to know?' He came prepared to talk, and he was surprisingly open and vulnerable—a side of him that few have witnessed before."
It took Hamachek over a year of diligent efforts to finally secure Belichick in that same chair. Numerous phone conversations spanned hours as the director and the Patriots' legendary coach engaged in discussions. Before Belichick agreed to take part, he posed the inevitable queries: "What's your angle? How will I be depicted?" Hamachek reminisced. "I offered him the same honest response I gave to everyone else—you'll be portrayed somewhere between a flattering piece and a critical one, as that's where the truth often lies for all of us."
While Belichick spoke on camera more than anyone could ever imagine from his renowned press conferences, there were topics he steadfastly refused to touch. This posed a challenge for Hamachek and his team in the editing room: How to clearly communicate to the audience that they'd heard all Belichick had to say on a subject.
"After conducting numerous interviews, I wanted to give Belichick the chance to address all these matters," Hamachek explained. "There were moments where we lingered on his silence, allowing the audience to feel the tension. As we pieced the documentary together, someone questioned, 'Is there anything else? Does he say more after this? You cut him off when he said, 'I don't want to talk about that.' I wanted to ensure the audience understood that there was nothing further. I didn't cut off a revealing response."
These awkward silences of Belichick, juxtaposed against the openness of others, highlight his reluctance to bend. Ultimately, this unwavering stance led to Brady's departure from New England. Ironically, despite the narrative of a "hit job" on Belichick, Hamachek holds a profound respect for him. His interpretation of the dynasty's conclusion and the final episodes of his docuseries differs from many in New England.
"What I gathered from this journey was that Belichick and Brady were a perfect match," Hamachek said. "Tom, not only a freak of nature who thrived for 20 years, but also a man who put his ego aside—especially after the third Super Bowl and the 2007 season, when he shattered offensive records. It's astonishing that, despite all his personal success, he didn't change sooner. Patriots fans lament Brady's Super Bowl win in Tampa Bay, but I find it remarkable that New England had him for another 13 seasons after 2007. Once universally hailed as the greatest, with movie star looks and a down-to-earth personality, Brady remained committed to 'The Patriots Way,' foregoing the privileges of superstardom and becoming, as a teammate aptly described, 'Belichick's punching bag.' It took Brady, who always put the team first, until he neared 40—and after orchestrating the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history in 2017—to shift. In Hamachek's eyes, this was a long time coming."
"The man who always prioritized the team, never swayed from his principles, watched as much around him changed," he continued. "And Tom, who had always been team-oriented, eventually began to do more for himself. I understand Tom's actions and motivations. It's human nature. But watching this, you see Bill as a man who stuck to his principles, never wavering, even as the world around him evolved."
