Here’s everything we know about the first instalment of Foundation, Apple TV Plus‘ next big sci-fi saga TV show.
Foundation, the forthcoming epic sci-fi TV show for Apple TV Plus, isn’t far off being released. There’s plenty riding on it, too – as Apple’s major new release for 2021, Foundation could cement itself as the next big sci-fi TV show, and has already been called ‚Game of Thrones in space‘ by some people. No pressure, then. Based on a series of novels by Isaac Asmiov (whose works have inspired the likes of Star Wars and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy), Foundation tells an centuries-spanning story that may be the most ambitious show that we’ve seen for some time. It’s been developed by David S. Goyer, whose previous credits include Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy and Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. So what do we know about Foundation ahead of its release later this month? Below, you’ll also find more about the show’s official release date, cast, trailers, plot details and more. Are you ready? Let’s dive in. Foundation will launch exclusively on Apple TV Plus on Friday, September 24. The announcement came alongside a trailer that was released back in July. Two episodes will be available to watch on September 24, with new entries releasing weekly on Apple’s streaming platform. The official Apple TV webpage for the series had confirmed that it was coming this year and, after we tentatively predicted it would arrive around September, that ended up being the case. Foundation took 19 months to film due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Principal photography ended in April 2021, with some of the show’s cast – Leah Harvey and Lou Llobell, who will portray Salvor Hardin and Gaal Dornick respectively – confirming as much via Instagram soon after. As for who is directing the series, there are four individuals that we know of so far. Alex Graves, whose credits include The Boys and Game of Thrones, is helming three episodes. Agents of S.H.I.E.L. D’s director Roxann Dawson and The Expanse helmer Jennifer Phang have two episodes apiece, while Rupert Sanders – in his first major directorial role – is directing Foundation season 1’s first episode. All of these confirmations come by way of IMDB. However, given that Foundation season 1 will comprise 10 episodes, we don’t know who the other two directors are yet, or whether one of the above quartet is helming those entries. Apple released a final trailer for Foundation season 1 on August 19. The latest footage gives longtime fans and intrigued newcomers a much clearer idea of how it’ll look, as well as what the plot will entail. There’s plenty of action and thrilling drama within the near three-minute long trailer, too, which stands us in good stead for another potentially excellent sci-fi offering in the near future. Check out the new trailer below: Alongside Foundation’s launch date reveal, Apple released a two-minute long trailer that also whetted our appetite. You can check out this batch of footage below: Finally, in August 2020, a two-minute long first-look trailer was released on Apple TV’s social media channels, which gave us our first glimpse at the series. The video begins with a brief overview from Goyer about how Foundation has shaped other cultural phenomena including Star Wars, before moving into a 90-second teaser composed of shot footage and CGI moments: Foundation is a compendium of sci-fi novels written by Isaac Asimov. The US author’s series is made up of seven books, with the core trilogy – Foundation, Foundation and Empire, and Second Foundation – comprising eight short stories that, after being released individually, were published as three collections in the early 1950s. According to Apple TV’s synopsis, Foundation “chronicles a band of exiles on their monumental journey to save humanity and rebuild civilization amid the fall of the Galactic Empire”. The series initially follows Hari Seldon, a mathematical genius who explains that, unless humanity changes course, the Galactic Empire will fall and be followed by a 30,000-year period of turmoil before a second Empire rises.
