Apple TV’s Foundation gets the second season it deserves to tell full story

Apple TV’s Foundation is one of the most exciting series to come out this year, a dramatic telling that has been almost 80 years in the making, based on the seminal science fiction novels by Isaac Asimov. Watching the first season is just a drop in the bucket in the multi-layered storytelling we can expect from the adaptation of such prolific work.

Helmed by showrunner David S. Goyer (Batman trilogy, Man of Steel, Blade franchise) and Skydance Television, Goyer has always hoped that Apple TV would invest in an expansive intergalactic world-building series that could span the breadth of the books, or 80 episodes, as Goyer has indicated.

He may just get his wish, with Apple TV + announcing a second season for Foundation already, while the first season has been airing on the platform, with the first four episodes already available and the rest to drop on a weekly basis. Critically acclaimed and expensively produced, it is frankly the most ambitious series to grace the streaming platform. Gorgeous in scope, it sets the standard for Apple. Is it any wonder they’ve renewed it?

“We have been so excited to watch global audiences embrace the captivating, suspenseful, and breathtaking thrill ride that is Foundation,” said Matt Cherniss, head of programming for Apple TV+, according to a press release. “We know how long fans of these beloved Asimov stories have waited to see his iconic work brought to life as a visually spectacular event series and now we can’t wait to showcase even more of the richly layered world, compelling storytelling, and stunning world-building in season two.”

Starring Emmy-nominated Jared Harris (Hari Seldon) and Lee Pace (Brother Day of the Cleons), Foundation’s Season one is just one tip of the iceberg in terms of storytelling of this sprawling universe. The series has been a stunning debut for Apple and with a planned future, fans of the series and the influential Asimov books will be thrilled that the television adaptation will continue to expand upon one of the most fascinating sci-fi series to grace our screens.

"“Since my childhood I’ve dreamed of how Hari Seldon and Eto Demerzel would look and sound — what Terminus and Trantor would feel like,” said showrunner and executive producer Goyer in the press release. “Now, with season two, our audience will get to visit more of Asimov’s indelible characters and worlds, including Hober Mallow, General Bel Riose, and all the Outer Suns. I’m thrilled that a whole new generation of fans are reading Asimov’s brilliant masterwork. We’re playing the long game with Foundation and I’m grateful to my partners at Apple and Skydance for entrusting me with this epic. Buckle up. We’re about to fold some serious space.”"

Since the first Foundation book was published in 1951, there have several aborted attempts to transform the story. Despite the odds, Goyer’s vision to screen has been a tremendous success. It helps that he was able to secure Isaac Asimov’s daughter, Robyn Asimov, to support the project, who is one of the producers.

"“David Goyer’s Foundation has surpassed all my expectations by bringing my father’s philosophy and ideas to the screen in ways he could never do while staying true to his work,” Robyn Asimov added in the press release. “I know my father would have been proud to see his iconic story come to life through the show’s visual beauty and the layered characters, understanding full well his words would need this cinematic translation. My father was deeply indebted to his fans, to their loyalty and always hoped his work would pass through to following generations. The Foundation series is fulfilling his wish [and mine] by introducing his work to a vast array of new readers. Given the cerebral nature of the Foundation books, this series is a tour de force.”"

Foundation’s first season was a slightly flawed masterpiece. The series is sure to grow in confidence and build on its strengths. Now that Apple TV has expressed long-term interest and fans will get a chance to see how the show ties up the captivating cliffhanger that will drop at the end of the first season, it’s a great boost of confidence for Apple in the streaming wars to continue Foundation’s narrative, one of the most captivating series around.

Episode five of Apple TV+’s Foundation drops Friday, October 15.