Adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series is huge TV production
By Ashley Hurst
Apple TV+ is adapting Isaac Asimov’s classic science fiction series, Foundation, for the small screen, and it’s set to become the biggest production Ireland has ever seen. In fact, according to Deadline, the series will create over 500 production jobs in the country!
Development agency Screen Ireland talked about this at a recent press briefing in Dublin; the show itself will do a lot of shooting in Troy Studios in the city of Limerick. “The series is the largest production ever to film on location in Ireland, creating over 500 production jobs,” Screen Ireland said in a statement. “Several training initiatives are underway for new entrants into the industry in the Limerick region, with over 40 skills development participants on the show.”
Ireland has made something of a name for itself in recent years regarding big budget productions. According to Variety, spending on production has increased by 162% to $395 million in 2019! For instance, the bulk of History’s long-running drama Vikings was shot just outside Dublin, and production will return to Ireland this year for its Netflix spinoff, Vikings: Valhalla.
Isaac Asimov started his Foundation series back in 1941. It is set in the future and follows the destruction and eventual rebirth of the Galactic Empire. Asimov started writing the books when he was only 21, and many readers consider Foundation to be his finest work. It even won the prestigious Hugo Award for best all-time science fiction series!
Apple ordered 10 episodes of the show to be developed by Skydance Television and Isaac Asimov’s daughter, Robin Asimov. It’s being written by Josh Friedman and David S. Goyer (Dark City, The Dark Knight), who will act as showrunner. Goyer, who has a long history in Hollywood, is also signed on to produce Netflix’s upcoming live-action adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s comic book, The Sandman.
The cast so far includes Jared Harris (Chernobyl), Lee Pace (The Hobbit trilogy), Lou Llobell (Voyagers), Laura Birn (The Innocents), Leah Harvey (Les Misérables), Terrence Mann (Sense8) and Cassian Bilton (A Devil’s Harmony).
While there’s no set release date for Foundation yet, it looks set to premiere in 2021. Watch this space.
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