Apple has given a series order for an adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s seminal sci-fi series Foundation from Skydance Television.
David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight) and Josh Friedman (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) are showrunners and executive producers on the series. Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Marcy Ross will also executive produce, alongside Asimov’s daughter Robyn Asimov.
Several previous attempts have been made to adapt Asimov’s sprawling sci-fi trilogy about the attempts of a band of exiles to limit the impact of the impending collapse of the Galactic Empire. However, as the series spans thousands years and therefore interchanges dozens of different characters, it’s not an easy work to adapt into a drama.
Foundation is the first book in the initial trilogy, first published as a series of short stories from 1942, and was followed by Foundation And Empire and Second Foundation. Asimov then started adding to the series in 1981 with Foundation’s Edge, Foundation And Earth and two prequels – Prelude To Foundation and Forward The Foundation.
Other Apple series in development include an adaptation of Gregory David Robert’s Mumbai-set novel Shantaram; musically-themed comedy drama Little Voices, produced by J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot and Warner Bros; and Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories, produced by Amblin Television.
Apple has said that it plans to spend $1bn on original content in 2018 and last year hired former Sony Pictures Television execs Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg to help develop its slate.