Writer/producer Scott Z. Burns is behind a new anthology series at Apple TV+ that directly focuses on climate change from different perspectives. “Extrapolations,” tells multiple stories of how the various changes to the planet will affect humanity alongside their dynamics within relationships and society. It explores the worldwide battle for humanity’s survival spanning the 21st century. The new anthology streaming series will be written, directed, and produced by Burns with eight interconnected episodes, none of which is much of a surprise when you remember Burns produced the prescient 2006 climate change doc “The Inconvenient Truth.”
Deadline has revealed an impressive cast has been assembled for the project that has started production. That group of actors will consist of Oscar-winner Meryl Streep, Kit Harington, Tahar Rahim, Matthew Rhys, Daveed Diggs, Gemma Chan, David Schwimmer, and Adarsh Gourav to lead the series.
Climate change is already here as we witness increased extreme weather events like hurricanes, massive wildfires across the globe, the melting of the polar ice caps/ice shields leading to the rise of sea levels, major flooding due to deforestation, and covering the soil with cement/asphalt. We’re bombarded by the grim future with news coverage of these devasting events, and it is expected only to increase until we truly get a handle on the man-made side of climate. Hopefully, “Extrapolations” brings forward constructive ideas to help combat climate change before it’s really too late.
The legendary Meryl Streep isn’t a stranger to either television or streaming projects previously working on HBO’s dramatic hit show “Big Little Lies” alongside recent Netflix films “The Laundromat” and Adam McKay’s anticipated disaster comedy “Don’t Look Up.”
Burns’ credits as a screenwriter include projects such as “The Bourne Ultimatum,” “The Laundromat” (led by Streep), the pandemic film “Contagion,” “The Informant!,” and thriller “Side Effects.” He’s also a creative executive on the “Dune” spinoff series “Dune: The Sisterhood” at HBO Max.
“Contagion” feels like the best example of an existing project that could be comparable to this new climate change series, as the drama directed by Steven Soderbergh focused on a global pandemic and how various governments handled it.