Apple TV+ has announced the end date for the Galactic Empire and the start of the Foundation — Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. The new series adaptation of Isaac Asimov‘s seminal science fiction novels, Foundation, hits Apple TV+ on Sept. 24. The news was accompanied by a second trailer for the show.
Foundation was one of the first big projects announced by Apple, announced back when the streaming service itself launched. Fans have even seen teasers for it before, though it was delayed due ot the COVID-19 pandemic. It comes from writer and filmmaker David S. Goyer, and it broadens the over-arching narrative laid out in Asimov’s novels, the first of which was initially published back in 1942. To this day, it remains a pillar of the sci-fi genre, and fans are ecstatic to see it getting adapted to the screen at last.
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Foundation takes place in a far-distant fictional future, where humanity has thoroughly colonized the entire galaxy and united it under one massive empire. The story begins with the introduction of a highly advanced esoteric form of science called psychohistory, which is able to predict sociological trends with extreme precision. Its creator determines that the galactic empire is falling, though it is too difficult for most humans to see the fall from within.
The inventor of this science, Hari Seldon then establishes a “Foundation” to preserve humanity’s greatest achievements in the hopes of shortening the time between the fall of the empire and the rise of a new civilization. He predicts this can be accomplished in 1,000 years, so the books jump through time by dozens or hundreds of years at a time, consisting mostly of vignettes set within the Foundation as it guides humanity’s hand.
This second trailer highlights some of the changes the TV show will apparently make to that story, fleshing out some characters and settings more than Asimov took the time to do. Notably, star Lee Pace plays a character named “Brother Day” who seems to be a stand-in for a high-ranking imperial official. He is credited on all 10 episodes, along with Cassian Bilton as Brother Dawn and Terrence Mann as Brother Dusk.
Likewise, Lou Llobell is credited on all 10 episodes as Gaal Dornick — a character who made a brief appearance at the beginning of the first book. This all indicates that the show’s first season will maintain a tight focus on the earliest portion of Asimov’s timeline, building on his story and leaving plenty of room for more seasons to come.
There are seven books in Asimov’s Foundation series — the original trilogy plus two prequels and two sequels. All are available here on Amazon in print, digital or audiobook format. The TV adaptation premieres on Friday, Sept. 24, on Apple TV+.
