The New Trailer for Apple’s Foundation Series Promises Epic Space Opera

Apple’s adaptation of the classic Isaac Asimov novels begins streaming this September.

Every streaming service has their prestige titles, i.e., ambitious and critically acclaimed original movies and series that make the case for why that particular service is worth your money. It’s a necessary tactic in our increasingly balkanized media landscape.

For example, Netflix has The Crown, Stranger Things, and The Witcher. Amazon has The Boys, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and The Underground Railroad, and they’re going all-in on their massive (and massively expensive) Lord of the Rings adaptation. Hulu has Devs, The Handmaid’s Tale, and PEN15. And on it goes.

Apple TV+ might have started out slowly, but they’ve got some celebrated titles of their own, including For All Mankind, Mythic Quest, and of course, Ted Lasso. And now, add the upcoming Foundation to the list.

Based on Isaac Asimov’s critically acclaimed Foundation novels, Apple’s series is set in a distant future where humanity is governed by a Galactic Empire consisting of thousands of worlds. However, a man named Dr. Hari Seldon foresees the Empire’s impending collapse and begins to take measures to save humanity even as the Empire’s rulers seek to silence him lest his words spark rebellion.

Full disclaimer, I’ve never read any of Asimov’s novels, so I have no idea how well anything in the trailer matches his writings. However, I’m a sucker for epic space operas, and based on this trailer, Apple’s series looks to be just that.

David S. Goyer’s involvement might be disconcerting for some; he’s done some cool things (Dark City, Blade II, Batman Begins) and some not-so-cool things (The Crow: City of Angels, Man of Steel). However, I’m heartened by the diverse talent behind the camera, which includes Saladin Ahmed (his Black Bolt series is phenomenal) as well as personnel who’ve worked on Deadwood and The Americans. And of course, in front of the camera, there’s Jared Harris (Chernobyl, The Expanse) as Dr. Seldon and Lee Pace (Halt and Catch Fire, Guardians of the Galaxy) as one of the imperial rulers.

Suffice to say, I’m very excited to start watching Foundation when it arrives on September 24.

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