Apple Lands Isaac Asimov ‘Foundation’ TV Series From David Goyer & Josh Friedman

Deadline | Hollywood ^ | April 10, 2018 | Mike Fleming Jr and Nellie Andreeva

[EveningStar]

In a competitive situation, Apple has nabbed a TV series adaptation of Foundation, the seminal Isaac Asimov science fiction novel trilogy. The project, from Skydance Television, has been put in development for straight-to-series consideration...

Originally published as a short story series in Astounding Magazine in 1942, Asimov’s Foundation is the complex saga of humans scattered on planets throughout the galaxy, all living under the rule of the Galactic Empire...

[jdsteel]

When I was young I was an avid Sci-Fi reader. Asimov was my favorite!

[Swordmaker]

Of course I never read the novel so I have no basis to slam it as a poor adaptation. Wikipedia says they basically took an unrelated script and slapped the “Starship Troopers” brand on it.

They took a very philosophical book that discussed the basis for granting the suffrage on being willing to put yourself between society and the people and the dark unknown, of what any kind, by volunteering for ANY KIND OF GOVERNMENT SERVICE, at the government's need. It was your choice to volunteer.

Once you volunteered, no matter what your abilities or disabilities, they'd find a place for you to serve, whether it would be in the Mobile Infantry, piloting a starship, sweeping streets, working in an office, or being a guinea pig for a drug test, or counting the hairs on the back of that guinea pig. . . ANYTHING, so long as you had volunteered for public service. . .and fulfilled the minimum of two years OR the period of an emergency (In case of war), you'd become a veteran and receive the franchise.

Alternately, you could live in society without ever volunteering or serving and still participate in all the benefits of that society, without being looked down upon, or condemnation, except you could not ever receive the franchise to vote OR be elected to any public office. That PRIVILEGE was reserved only for those who had put their lives at risk by the mere act of volunteering and COMPLETING that term of service, showing they were willing to put society above themselves.

The movie essentially turned that into a FASCISTIC society with completely militaristic volunteering only.

The movie makers also tossed out one of the most intriguing ideas Heinlein ever put forward, the idea of the armored enhanced PERSONAL infantry suit, which the soldiers individuals wore which we are now getting closer and closer to having every day. This suit gave each soldier the ability to jump hundreds of feet, and carry tons of equipment, mirroring every movement his body made. We saw something similar in Avatar. . . but Heinlein described it much better in Starship Troopers.

They kept some of the tropes from the book, like the name of the starship Rodger Young, but dropped the use of the Song "Ballad of Rodger Young" as the means of recalling its troopers. It's a great song. Listen to the Burl Ives' version of the Ballad of Rodger Young. "Shines the name, shines the name of Rodger Young. . . " Nope, left out.

[Bender2]

Re: Apparently, you've bought into that nonsense.

No, Fred, I lived it in the 1950s but it is very evident you and I had two very different lives and I pity you for the one you have gone through to have the terribly distorted view of the United States you see.

I can see there is not any further need to discuss this with you as your committed dogma that must have fueled your Liberal/Communist Period and then raised its ugly head in another direction again appears to have set into the hard stone of a closed heart and locked mind.

My sorrow and compassion goes out to you for your apparent regret, anger and disappointment in the upbringing you had--

I shall not argue nor reply with you any more, it would be a complete waste of time and effort.

Goodbye and God Bless.

[big'ol_freeper]

I almost always prefer the original

[Bender2]

Re: The movie makers also tossed out one of the most intriguing ideas Heinlein ever put forward, the idea of the armored enhanced PERSONAL infantry suit, which the soldiers individuals wore which we are now getting closer and closer to having every day. This suit gave each soldier the ability to jump hundreds of feet, and carry tons of equipment, mirroring every movement his body made. We saw something similar in Avatar. . . but Heinlein described it much better in Starship Troopers.

Yeah, the power suits are completely missing in Paul Verhoeven's 1997 bastardization. You would think that with the unbelievable power of today's CGI, a rebooting of Starship Troopers would be fresh meat for a film franchise that 12 to 14 year old boys would flock to over and over again.

However, considering that the Hollywood liberal elite would again distort Heinlein's story and philosophy, perhaps it is best to just keep the purity of the book close at heart and leave the rest alone.

[big'ol_freeper]

Heinlein is even more relevant today than his day

[Bender2]

Amen and pas the ammunition!

[Bender2]

Make that "Amen and pass the ammunition!"

[FredZarguna]

Actually, I always had a beautiful view of the United States of America, and my early liberalism was motivated by a desire to make it a better place. When I realized that leftists politics weren't about that at all, I had to abandon them because of my belief in our way of life.

You, on the other hand, have been sleepwalking through history, so unaware of how thoroughly brainwashed you are that you believe that a deeply anti-American film is just harmless entertainment. Go back and listen to Klaatu's cautionary departure speech in the context of the 1950's "red scare" to understand just how deeply--and disgustingly--propagandistic it is. As for your sympathy, you should save it for yourself. As thoroughly unexamined a philosophy as you apparently possess is genuinely to be pitied.

No doubt you think Philip K. Dick and Isaac Asimov were visionary science fiction writers of completely neutral political positions as well. In that case, I hate to break this news to you...

[Swordmaker]

A LOT of the science fiction movies of the 1950s were written from an anti-American, anti-nuclear war stance. . . by a Hollywood elite that wanted to scare everyone away with the dangers of nukes. Monsters created by nuclear testing, “Them” big Ants from the Arizona desert, the “Creature from 20,000 Fathoms,” “The 27th Day,” “The Night the World Exploded,” “Attack of the 50 Foot Woman,” “The Day the Sky Exploded,” and others had as themes the effects of American atomic testing.

Many people did not see the subtle underlying Anti-American themes in many movies of the period. . . even in Hollywood Westerns... but it was there.

[FredZarguna]

Yes, and that was my original point: as a child I thought The Day The Earth Stood Still was a fine sci-fi effort with a really cool robot. It wasn't until years later that I watched it with a better appreciation of how Hollywood--even then--was serving up insidious Soviet agitprop.

One of the few people who recognized the slant, and worked tirelessly against it once he got his head right was, unsurprisingly, Ronald Reagan.

A fine book written by the son of a Hollywood screenwriter who was not a communist is Hollywood Traitors: Blacklisted Screenwriters - Agents of Stalin, Allies of Hitler. Like the Roosevelt Administration, Hollywood was thoroughly infiltrated in the 1930's and overrun in the 40's. It was still able to misinform a great deal of American thought, despite some awakening to it during the "red scare," an effort that continues to this day without restraint.

[Army Air Corps]

They kept some of the tropes from the book, like the name of the starship Rodger Young, but dropped the use of the Song "Ballad of Rodger Young" as the means of recalling its troopers.

Yes, that was one of the things that I had expected to find in the film, only to be greatly disappointed. You mentioned the powered armoured fighting suit, and how it was not depicted in the film. One of the aspects of the suit that would have been cool to see in the film was its ability to launch mini nukes.

[Hot Tabasco]

When this show is released the wife has already stated we “WILL” be getting Apple TV so we can see it.

I realize this thread is three years old but I thought I would inform you that Foundation just started on Sept. 24 on Apple TV

[SauronOfMordor]

“Have Space Suit, Will Travel” has one problematic bit: the implied but not explicit budding romance between 17 year old Kip and 12 year old Peewee.

[TheStickman]

Thank you for doing so. We are currently waiting on episode 3 to be released at the end of the week.