Ever since the massive success of HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” competitors have searched far and wide for similarly epic intellectual property to adapt into a mega-popular television series. “Foundation,” based on the influential novels by iconic sci-fi author Isaac Asimov, is the latest attempt by Apple TV+ to fill that void. The books are said to have inspired Frank Herbert to write “Dune” and George Lucas to create “Star Wars.” If it lands with audiences, this series looks ambitious enough visually and thematically to serve as one of the streamer’s major cornerstones.
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According to the official synopsis, “‘Foundation’ chronicles a band of exiles on their monumental journey to save humanity and rebuild civilization amid the fall of the Galactic Empire.” Jared Harris (“Chernobyl,” “The Terror”) will star as Hari Seldon, a mathematician who predicts the Empire’s demise and decides to take radical action to alter the future. Lee Pace (“Halt and Catch Fire,” “Pushing Daisies”) will play Brother Day, Emperor of the Galaxy. Other cast members include Lou Llobel, Leah Harvey, Laura Birn, Terrence Mann, and Alfred Enoch.
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“Foundation” was originally conceived as a trilogy of films in the early aughts before the rights were snapped up by HBO and eventually acquired by Apple. This version was developed by David S. Goyer, who knows a thing or two about adapting beloved intellectual property: he wrote the “Blade” trilogy, “Batman Begins,” “Man of Steel,” and “Terminator: Dark Fate.” His co-writer Josh Friedman, meanwhile, has penned screenplays for major directors like Steven Spielberg (“War of the Worlds”), Brian De Palma (“The Black Dahlia”), and James Cameron (“Avatar 2”). The pilot was directed by Rupert Sanders, whose credits include 2012’s “Snow White and the Huntsman” and 2017’s “Ghost in the Shell.”
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“Foundation” is set to debut on Apple TV+ on September 24, 2021. Watch the new trailer below.
