Isaac Asimov’s legacy as one of science fiction’s most iconic authors has long since been cemented in history. His tales have inspired some of the greatest works of our time, and his influence is still felt across a plethora of mediums today.
It’s for those very reasons fans have been hungry for the Foundation trilogy to make its leap onto television ever since it was reportedly headed to the small screen back in 2014. Rumors of that show dwindled though, and audiences were left wondering whether or not it would ever see the light of day. Recent reports suggest their woes can be put to rest though, as Skydance Television has ordered a ten-episode series of Asimov’s stories.
David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman have been brought on as the series’ showrunners, and are tasked with bringing a titanic sci-fi world to life. Goyer is best known for his work on The Dark Knight, and Friedman for his involvement in Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles, and the as yet unseen Avatar 2. Both screenwriters have been attached to big titles in the genre, making them well equipped to handle the sprawling world of Foundation. Friedman’s writing on the 2005 adaptation of War of the Worlds means he’s no stranger to classic science fiction adaptations either, which is yet another good sign fans can look towards.
David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Marcy Ross of Skydance will receive executive production credits, as well as Isaac Asimov’s own daughter Robyn Asimov. This close work with the Asimov estate could be proof that even the ones closest to the late author and his work are confident in the studio’s ability to do his trilogy justice.
The Foundation novels follow Hari Seldon, a psychohistorian who uses the aforementioned field of study he developed to identify the ways the far-reaching Galactic Empire is crumbling. It’s up to him and a group of other exiles to create the Encyclopedia Galactica, a collection of all human knowledge which may just save the Empire from utter demise. The deeply rich and dense story may be a challenge to tackle in just ten episodes, but given the talent behind the show so far the feat isn’t entirely impossible.
The Foundation novels span across several different books, but the core trilogy consists of Foundation, Foundation and Empire, and Second Foundation. The TV series will reportedly focus on these three novels, as the entire anthology would be a ludicrous ask for merely one season.
How might Foundation stack up to its written predecessor? All we can do is wait patiently and watch carefully as new developments are made. Asimov’s epic series will be brought to life on Apple TV in the coming future.
