{"id":4816,"date":"2021-09-23T17:25:57","date_gmt":"2021-09-23T15:25:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1368997"},"modified":"2021-09-23T17:46:25","modified_gmt":"2021-09-23T15:46:25","slug":"foundation-release-date-cast-plot-and-latest-news-for-apple-tv-series","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/foundation-release-date-cast-plot-and-latest-news-for-apple-tv-series\/","title":{"rendered":"Foundation: Release date, cast, plot and latest news for Apple TV+ series"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"rssexcerpt\"> After decades of attempts, Isaac Asimov&#8217;s Foundation books are finally getting a live-action adaptation. <\/p><p class=\"rssauthor\">By Daniel Furn\n                \t\t<\/p><p class=\"rssbyline\">Published: Thursday, 23 September 2021 at 12:00 am<\/p><hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n\n<p>Isaac Asimov\u2019s seminal sci-fi stories have previously been the basis of hit films such as I, Robot and The Bicentennial Man, but his most famous work has not yet made it to the screen \u2013 until now.<\/p>\n<p>Long considered unfilmable, Asimov\u2019s ambitious Foundation novels were written over fifty years and covered a complex story spanning centuries, following humans across the galaxy living under the rule of the Galactic Empire.<\/p>\n<p>With a beloved book series as a basis and a staggering budget, Foundation may well become the next big TV hit on par with Game of Thrones \u2013 and provide fledgling streaming service <a href=\"\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/technology\/apple-streaming-service-what-is-it-tv-shows-movies-launch-releases-cost\/&quot;\" target=\"&quot;_blank&quot;\" rel=\"&quot;noopener&quot; noopener noreferrer\">Apple TV+<\/a> with their first big-budget blockbuster success.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s everything you need to know about Foundation.<\/p>\n<h2>Foundation release date<\/h2>\n<p>Foundation will touch down on Apple TV+ on <strong>24th September 2021.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Only the first two episodes will be available at launch, with the remaining eight then releasing weekly on Fridays.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"&quot;twitter-tweet&quot;\" data-dnt=\"&quot;true&quot;\"><p lang=\"&quot;en&quot;\" dir=\"&quot;ltr&quot;\">The fight for the future begins on September 24. <a href=\"\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Foundation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;\">#Foundation<\/a>, only on Apple TV+ <a href=\"\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/AppleOriginals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;\">#AppleOriginals<\/a> <a href=\"\/\/t.co\/fNXmZB19ig&quot;\">https:\/\/t.co\/fNXmZB19ig<\/a> <a href=\"\/\/t.co\/7aiT11U0p9&quot;\">pic.twitter.com\/7aiT11U0p9<\/a><\/p>\u2014 Apple TV (@AppleTV) <a href=\"\/\/twitter.com\/AppleTV\/status\/1409602596508078083?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;\">June 28, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote><p>In keeping with the show\u2019s expansive galaxy-wide scope, Foundation\u2019s globetrotting shoot saw filming take place in Ireland, Malta, Fuerteventura and Tenerife. In particular volcanic landscapes were used to stand in for alien environments, in particular Fuerteventura\u2019s Caldera de los Arrabales and Granja de Pozo Negro.<\/p>\n<p>As if adapting one of the most complex book series of all time wasn\u2019t hard enough, Foundation joined pretty much every TV show in suspending production in March 2020. Filming resumed in October that year, with the 19-month(!) shoot eventually wrapping in April 2021.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"&quot;instagram-media&quot;\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"&quot;https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CNLAjXAhHB6\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading&quot;\" data-instgrm-version=\"&quot;13&quot;\"><div style=\"padding:16px\"> <a href=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CNLAjXAhHB6\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading&quot;\" target=\"&quot;_blank&quot;\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <div> <div style=\"background-color:\" \/> <div> <div \/> <div \/><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding:\" \/> <div><\/div><div style=\"padding-top:\"> <div> View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding:\" \/> <div><div> <div style=\"background-color:\" \/> <div style=\"background-color:\" \/> <div style=\"background-color:\" \/><\/div><div style=\"margin-left:\"> <div \/> <div \/><\/div><div style=\"margin-left:\"> <div \/> <div \/> <div \/><\/div><\/div> <div> <div \/> <div \/><\/div><\/a><p><a href=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CNLAjXAhHB6\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading&quot;\" target=\"&quot;_blank&quot;\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">A post shared by Lou Llobell (@loullobell)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote><h2>Foundation cast<\/h2>\n<div class=\"&quot;image-handler__container\" style=\"padding-bottom:\"> <img class=\"&quot;wp-image-1369154\" align=\"\" data-src=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2021\/09\/Foundation_Photo_010104-e8d56f0.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=619%2C413&quot;\" width=\"&quot;620&quot;\" height=\"&quot;413&quot;\" alt=\"&quot;Apple\" title=\"&quot;Foundation_Photo_010104&quot;\" \/><\/div><div class=\"&quot;caption-hold&quot;\"><figcaption class=\"&quot;wp-caption-text&quot;\"><span class=\"&quot;caption-copy&quot;\"><i class=\"&quot;icon-arrow\" \/> Cooper Carter, Lee Pace and Terrence Mann in Foundation<\/span><\/figcaption><span class=\"&quot;im-image-caption&quot;\" \/><\/div>\n<p>Appropriately for a sci-fi epic of ambitious scope, Apple has acquired quite the impressive cast. Jared Harris \u2013 no stranger to big-budget TV after starring in <a href=\"\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/tv\/drama\/chernobyl-sky-now-tv-air-date-cast-plot\/&quot;\" target=\"&quot;_blank&quot;\" rel=\"&quot;noopener&quot; noopener noreferrer\">Chernobyl<\/a> and <a href=\"\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/tv\/drama\/the-crown-season-5-release-date-netflix\/&quot;\" target=\"&quot;_blank&quot;\" rel=\"&quot;noopener&quot; noopener noreferrer\">The Crown<\/a> \u2013 stars as Hari Seldon, a mathematician who develops a theory that could bring down the Galactic Empire.<\/p>\n<p>Showrunner David S. Goyer explained Seldon\u2019s influence when talking to <a href=\"\/\/ew.com\/tv\/the-foundation-trailer-breakdown-david-s-goyer\/&quot;\" target=\"&quot;_blank&quot;\" rel=\"&quot;noopener&quot; noopener noreferrer\">Entertainment Weekly<\/a>, saying: \u201cNo one understands his mathematics. They know he\u2019s really smart, but they don\u2019t know whether he\u2019s lying or not [about the Empire\u2019s destruction]. And that\u2019s what makes the Empire really nervous.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Joining Harris is Lee Pace, who will be returning to the stars after playing space-bound supervillain Ronan in <a href=\"\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/tv\/sci-fi\/guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-3-cinema-release-date-cast-plot-trailer-james-gunn-re-hired-chris-pratt-marvel-disney\/&quot;\" target=\"&quot;_blank&quot;\" rel=\"&quot;noopener&quot; noopener noreferrer\">Guardians of the Galaxy<\/a>. Pace will be playing Galactic Emperor Brother Day, a clone of former ruler Emperor Cleon.<\/p>\n<p>However Brother Day has two \u2018brothers\u2019 who were also cloned from Cleon, with Cassian Bilton (Shoal) as the youngest royal family member Brother Dawn and Terence Mann (Sense8) as eldest member Brother Dusk. All three brothers are new creations for the TV show, designed to better portray Cleon who mostly operated in the shadows in the books.<\/p>\n<p>Lou Llobell (Voyagers) and Laura Birn (A Walk Among the Tombstones) will be playing gender-swapped versions of book characters Dr. Gaal Dornick and Eto Demerzel. Llobell portrays Seldon\u2019s biographer Dornick, whereas Birn appears as Brother Day\u2019s aide Demerzel.<\/p>\n<p>Rounding out the cast is Leah Harvey (Fighting With My Family) as Terminus mayor Salvor Hardin, Alicia Gerrard (Ripper Street) as Yate Fulham and <a href=\"\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/movies\/how-to-watch-harry-potter\/&quot;\" target=\"&quot;_blank&quot;\" rel=\"&quot;noopener&quot; noopener noreferrer\">Harry Potter<\/a> actor Alfred Enoch as Hari\u2019s adopted son Raych Seldon.<\/p>\n<p>Behind the scenes David S. Goyer \u2013 whose writing credits include The Dark Knight Trilogy, Man Of Steel and <a href=\"\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/tv\/fantasy\/netflix-the-sandman-release-date\/&quot;\" target=\"&quot;_blank&quot;\" rel=\"&quot;noopener&quot; noopener noreferrer\">The Sandman<\/a> \u2013 will serve as showrunner, including co-writing several episodes and directing the finale.<\/p>\n<p>Isaac Asimov\u2019s daughter Robyn Asimov is also on board as an executive producer.<\/p>\n<h2>Foundation plot<\/h2>\n<div class=\"&quot;image-handler__container\" style=\"padding-bottom:\"> <img class=\"&quot;wp-image-1369157\" align=\"\" data-src=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2021\/09\/Foundation_Photo_010101-72553b1.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=620%2C413&quot;\" width=\"&quot;620&quot;\" height=\"&quot;413&quot;\" alt=\"&quot;Leah\" title=\"&quot;Foundation_Photo_010101&quot;\" \/><\/div><div class=\"&quot;caption-hold&quot;\"><figcaption class=\"&quot;wp-caption-text&quot;\"><span class=\"&quot;caption-copy&quot;\"><i class=\"&quot;icon-arrow\" \/> Leah Harvey in Foundation on Apple TV+.<\/span><\/figcaption><span class=\"&quot;im-image-caption&quot;\" \/><\/div>\n<p>According to Apple TV\u2019s synopsis, Foundation \u201cchronicles a band of exiles on their monumental journey to save humanity and rebuild civilisation amid the fall of the Galactic Empire\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Foundation initially began as a series of eight short stories, which were later published together as a trilogy in the 1950s. Thirty years later Asimov returned to the Foundation series, releasing four new volumes for a total of seven books.<\/p>\n<p>While one of Asimov\u2019s later additions included a prequel titled Prelude to Foundation, it seems that Apple\u2019s TV series will be adapting the original trilogy\u2019s first instalment, which was succinctly titled Foundation.<\/p>\n<p>The book follows Hari Seldon, a mathematical genius who develops the science of \u201cpsychohistory\u201d that predicts the collapse of the current\u00a0 Galactic Empire and a subsequent dark age that will last 30,000 years before a second Empire begins.<\/p>\n<p>However Seldon also predicts that this intervening period of turmoil can be reduced to 1,000 years if certain conditions are met \u2013 and thus is granted permission to form the Foundation, a group of the greatest living scientists, engineers, and historians tasked with preserving humanity\u2019s knowledge in the Encyclopedia Galactica ready for this new Empire.<\/p>\n<p>The Galactic Empire is not too thrilled about their supposed imminent downfall though, and banish Seldon to the remote and inhospitable planet of Terminus. It is here that Seldon encounters the Vault, a mysterious floating object that appears in Asimov\u2019s books \u2013 and Goyer has promised we will find out what secrets lie within the Vault during season one.<\/p>\n<div class=\"&quot;image-handler__container\" style=\"padding-bottom:\"> <img data-crop-width=\"&quot;2882&quot;\" data-crop-height=\"&quot;1920&quot;\" class=\"&quot;wp-image-1369155\" align=\"\" data-src=\"&quot;https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2021\/09\/Foundation_Photo_010110-e458ff3.jpg?quality=90&amp;crop=479px%2C0px%2C2882px%2C1920px&amp;resize=620%2C413&quot;\" width=\"&quot;620&quot;\" height=\"&quot;413&quot;\" alt=\"&quot;Leah\" title=\"&quot;Foundation_Photo_010110&quot;\" \/><\/div><div class=\"&quot;caption-hold&quot;\"><figcaption class=\"&quot;wp-caption-text&quot;\"><span class=\"&quot;caption-copy&quot;\"><i class=\"&quot;icon-arrow\" \/> Leah Harvey in Foundation on Apple TV+.<\/span><\/figcaption><span class=\"&quot;im-image-caption&quot;\" \/><\/div>\n<p>However, Seldon also creates a second, mysterious Foundation at the opposite end of the galaxy for initially unknown reasons \u2013 setting the stage for an ambitious and interweaving saga that spans centuries.<\/p>\n<p>Goyer told <a href=\"\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/tv\/tv-news\/apple-tv-david-s-goyer-foundation-1234985520\/&quot;\" target=\"&quot;_blank&quot;\" rel=\"&quot;noopener&quot; noopener noreferrer\">The Hollywood Reporter<\/a> that he initially pitched the series with one sentence: \u201cIt\u2019s a 1,000-year chess game between Hari Seldon and the Empire, and all the characters in between are the pawns, but some of the pawns over the course of this saga end up becoming kings and queens.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s unsurprising then that Foundation has drawn many comparisons with Game of Thrones \u2013 and Goyer has revealed that the fantasy series has also helped set the stage for sprawling novel adaptations previously thought unfilmable.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe audience is changing the way that we\u2019re consuming stories,\u201d Goyer told <a href=\"\/\/www.foundation-tv-show.com\/post\/david-goyer-interview-in-malta&quot;\" target=\"&quot;_blank&quot;\" rel=\"&quot;noopener&quot; noopener noreferrer\">LovinMalta<\/a>. \u201cGame of Thrones was one of the first to do a giant novelistic show and now, with Foundation, we can hopefully [tell] the story over 80 episodes, or 80 hours, as opposed to trying to condense it down into a two or three-hour film.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s certainly plenty of source material available should Apple wish to commission eight seasons \u2013 though first things first we\u2019ll have to see if the tech giant renews Foundation for season two\u2026<\/p>\n<h2>Foundation trailer<\/h2>\n<p>Despite still being halfway through production, Apple gave us a rather extensive two-minute first look back in August 2020. It features Goyer explaining how influential Foundation has been on science fiction and pop culture in general, before revealing the first footage of the series:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"&quot;twitter-tweet&quot;\" data-dnt=\"&quot;true&quot;\"><p lang=\"&quot;en&quot;\" dir=\"&quot;ltr&quot;\">50 years in the making. <br \/><br \/>Isaac Asimov\u2019s epic Sci-Fi universe comes to Apple TV+ 2021: <a href=\"\/\/t.co\/SbImWPSSoR&quot;\">https:\/\/t.co\/SbImWPSSoR<\/a> <a href=\"\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Foundation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;\">#Foundation<\/a> <a href=\"\/\/t.co\/LEGYXFvskm&quot;\">pic.twitter.com\/LEGYXFvskm<\/a><\/p>\u2014 Apple TV (@AppleTV) <a href=\"\/\/twitter.com\/AppleTV\/status\/1275132722256609280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;\">June 22, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote><p>A full, official trailer was eventually released in August 2021 along with the announcement of the release date. It does a rather good job of explaining the somewhat unwieldy story, and features several stunning special effects:<\/p>\n\n<p><strong><span class=\"&quot;s1&quot;\">Foundation begins on Friday 24th September 2021 on Apple TV+. Find something to watch tonight with our <a href=\"\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/tv\/tv-listings\/&quot;\">TV Guide<\/a>.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> After decades of attempts, Isaac Asimov&#8217;s Foundation books are finally getting a live-action adaptation. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":4817,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/09\/foundation-release-date-cast-plot-and-latest-news-for-apple-tv-series-scaled.jpg",2560,1707,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/09\/foundation-release-date-cast-plot-and-latest-news-for-apple-tv-series-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/09\/foundation-release-date-cast-plot-and-latest-news-for-apple-tv-series-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/09\/foundation-release-date-cast-plot-and-latest-news-for-apple-tv-series-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/09\/foundation-release-date-cast-plot-and-latest-news-for-apple-tv-series-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/09\/foundation-release-date-cast-plot-and-latest-news-for-apple-tv-series-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/09\/foundation-release-date-cast-plot-and-latest-news-for-apple-tv-series-2048x1365.jpg",2048,1365,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"After decades of attempts, Isaac Asimov's Foundation books are finally getting a live-action adaptation.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/4816"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4817"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}