Apple Gives Straight to Series Order to Drama Based on Isaac Asimov's 'Foundation' Novels

[MacRumors]

Apple has followed through with plans to create a television series based on Isaac Asimov's famous Foundation novels and has recently given a straight to series order for the show, reports Deadline.

Apple first inked a deal for the TV series adaptation of Foundation back in April, but the show was still in development at that time.

The Foundation TV series is being developed by Skydance, with David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman serving as executive producers and showrunners. Goyer has previously worked on "The Dark Knight," "Batman Begins," Ghost Rider," and more, while Friedman is known for "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" and "Emerald City."

Foundation is Isaac Asimov's most popular and well-known science fiction series, which includes titular novel Foundation, Foundation and Empire, and Second Foundation, along with additional books Foundation's Edge and Foundation and Earth.

The series follows psychohistory expert and mathematician Hari Seldon who is able to predict the future. Seldon creates a group called the Foundation to preserve humanity's collective knowledge ahead of the impending fall of the Galactic Empire. The novels span many years and cover the rise and fall of multiple empires, making it an ambitious television project.

In addition to the Foundation series, Apple has more than a dozen TV shows in development in total, and rumors have suggested we could see the first of these debut starting in March of 2019. For a full list of what Apple's working on, make sure to check out the original content section of our Apple TV roundup.

Article Link: Apple Gives Straight to Series Order to Drama Based on Isaac Asimov's 'Foundation' Novels

 

[yaxomoxay]

Ok. NOW I am interested.
Just don’t butcher it please!

 

[ActionableMango]

“Any fool can tell a crisis when it arrives. The real service to the state is to detect it in embryo.”

 

[McTaste]

oh hell yase

 

[cpnotebook80]

Finally - I hope they don't screw it up! like the first poster said. Nothing worse when great books get too much money thrown at it for sake or producing without the talent.

 

[Capeto]

So when are all these series Apple has been ordering coming out?

 

[LordVic]

this is the first original programming Apple has announced that actually interests me and doesn't sound like self gratification.

However, I'm very confused on the verbage used in the article... what's "Straight To"..

 

[deeddawg]

This could be *very* good or it could be *very* disappointing. I hope for the former.
[doublepost=1535043634][/doublepost]

However, I'm very confused on the verbage used in the article... what's "Straight To"..

I believe that means they order a season / half-season of episodes rather than just a pilot

 

[iLilana]

each book was a completely different time spanning thousands of years and the whole galaxy. (possibly multiple galaxies. its been 30+ years since I read them.) Characters like Hari Seldon and The Mule and concepts such as Psychohistory might be a bit dry for the avengers fans. Also the big reveal at the end was my first acknowledged experience of universe building. I can see this going down like Westworld. There is a huge potential if done right. Good luck apple. Don't flush it down the toilet or the nerds will assassinate you on social media.

 

[randolorian]

I love sci-fi books, including many classics, but I could never get into Foundation. Tried twice; never could make it past 50%. Too much political squabbling.

 

[jscooper22]

OK, now I gotta go back to Caves of Steel and read everything again.

 

[Googlyhead]

Not sure about the chances of this being too faithful.
It seems to me that fundamentals would not align with Apple's "family friendly" requirements or current tendency to push politics.

 

[djcerla]

I canceled Netflix two months ago. Nothing really interesting, tons of garbage and I easily replaced the children's stuff with Amazon, which I have for free with Prime.

But Apple's lineup starts to look very nerd-y and interesting.

 

[Romeo_Nightfall]

Apple has not the right thinking for such a series. Will become a starwars 1—3 clone, with Tim as obi wan aka Hari Sheldon’s spirit

Update ... they Even can’t get auto correction working, ... so sad!

 

[djcerla]

Apple has not the right thinking for such a series.

“We’ve learned and struggled for a few years here figuring out how to make a decent phone,” he said. “PC guys are not going to just figure this out. They’re not going to just walk in.”

Palm CEO Ed Colligan, 2006

 

[CWallace]

However, I'm very confused on the verbage used in the article... what's "Straight To"..

As deeddawg suggested, Apple is not commissioning just a pilot to see how it tests, but instead is commissioning an entire season of episodes to be produced.

Apple has not the right thinking for such a series.

Apple is just writing a check to the production committee to make the series happen and then agree to stream it on their service. They will likely have little to no input on the content.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

I believe that means they order a season / half-season of episodes rather than just a pilot

You are correct. That's exactly what it means.

 

[deeddawg]

You are correct. That's exactly what it means.

Well hot damn, proof that even a blind squirrel finds an acorn every so often...

Thanks for the confirmation of my guess.

 

[LordVic]

This could be *very* good or it could be *very* disappointing. I hope for the former.
[doublepost=1535043634][/doublepost]

I believe that means they order a season / half-season of episodes rather than just a pilot

thanks for the answer!

This was the book series that got me into Sci Fi when I was a kid. I have no idea how the heck it'll be adapted for film/TV considering it's episodic nature of the the first 3 books. But I'm excited.

This and Dune are the two greats that have never been done right or done at all.

 

[Peepo]

I remember Asimov saying something along the lines how when he did the sequels and prequel to foundation that real world technology had changed since original book - for example there was no such thing as a personal computer when was originally done. It was therefore a challenge to write new foundation books. Wonder what Apple will do here now - maybe they can retcon the thing where everyone is using Apple devices LOL.

 

[deeddawg]

[former] Palm CEO Ed Colligan, 2006

Fixed.

 

[Swift]

this is the first original programming Apple has announced that actually interests me and doesn't sound like self gratification.

However, I'm very confused on the verbage used in the article... what's "Straight To"..

The entire series will appear for binge-watching, or at least that it will all be made. It’s not like TV, where show can be cancelled if they don’t get the ratings after just a few episodes. It all going to be done.

 

[FloatingBones]

Hopefully, Apple will make a VR App for showing The Prime Radiant projected on a wall.

There's also an opportunity for a geeky product placement: Psychohistory: Computed and visualized by Wolfram Research (Mathematica).

 

[macpeach55]

One of our all-time favourite series.
Very Excited (If done right!)

 

[rlhamil]

each book was a completely different time spanning thousands of years and the whole galaxy. (possibly multiple galaxies. its been 30+ years since I read them.) Characters like Hari Seldon and The Mule and concepts such as Psychohistory might be a bit dry for the avengers fans. Also the big reveal at the end was my first acknowledged experience of universe building. I can see this going down like Westworld. There is a huge potential if done right. Good luck apple. Don't flush it down the toilet or the nerds will assassinate you on social media.

Decades or hundreds of years, not thousands. Psychohistory and the Foundation(s) were supposed to be able to reduce the interval of collapse from 10,000 years to 1,000 (assuming just the original trilogy, and not the change at the end of the sequel "Foundation's Edge").