After Game of Thrones and its many successors, major production studios are still searching for the next epic saga to dominate the small screen. Amazon went all in with The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, a visually stunning but somewhat lukewarm prequel featuring a youthful Sauron. Then there’s Dune: Prophecy, exploring the origins of the fearsome Bene Gesserit — the spiritual mothers of all militant sisterhoods, some might say. Now, Apple TV+ cautiously takes on the monumental task of adapting Isaac Asimov’s legendary sci-fi saga: Foundation.
Rumor has it that *Foundation* is one of French politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s favorite books. Why? Perhaps because it depicts the inevitable collapse of a galactic empire, and the emergence of a Foundation trying to salvage the future of civilization through a scientific discipline called psychohistory—capable of predicting the fate of societies on a large scale.
Foundation: Apple TV+ Goes All In
Apple TV+ pulled out all the stops to adapt this cornerstone of science fiction. While the platform doesn’t yet rival HBO or Netflix in reach, it has built a solid reputation for bold originals—like See, a dystopian drama where humanity has lost the sense of sight.
For Season 1 of Foundation, Apple reportedly invested over $45 million. The cast includes heavyweights: Jared Harris as Hari Seldon, Lee Pace as Brother Day, Lou Llobell and Leah Harvey in key roles, and Laura Birn as the unforgettable Demerzel.
From Novel to Screen: Necessary Simplification?
Since the late 1990s, with groundbreaking shows like Oz and The Wire by Tom Fontana and David Simon, the TV series format has evolved into a serious narrative art form. These series brought back the depth and grit of American indie cinema before it got industrialized by Hollywood. But Game of Thrones changed the game entirely, ushering in the era of the 60-minute blockbuster series—lavishly funded, high-stakes, and designed for global dominance.
Apple TV+ is clearly aiming to create its own version of this prestige format, with major investments in storytelling and production. But such ambitions come with trade-offs.
Asimov’s original work is cold, cerebral, and devoid of individual heroism. History, in his universe, is shaped by the collective actions of the masses—not lone saviors. There are no messianic figures. Apple’s adaptation takes liberties: it romanticizes the narrative. Characters like Hari Seldon, Gaal Dornick, and the Emperor become near-mythical protagonists.
Just like Game of Thrones post-season 5, Foundation adopts a more classic hero-vs-villain dynamic. This move toward binary storytelling—where emotional identification is funneled through heroic leads—mirrors the evolution of American entertainment from Rambo to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
A Spectacular Adaptation, Despite Everything
Despite narrative simplification, Foundation remains an ambitious and demanding series. The visual effects are top-tier, and Asimov’s universe is brought to life with impressive technical and artistic rigor.
Like all great sci-fi, Foundation holds a mirror to our own world. In the Apple TV+ series, the galactic empire is ruled by a genetic dynasty: the same man cloned for eternity, split across three personas—Dawn, Day, and Dusk. This concept doesn’t appear in the books, but it adds compelling layers of power and identity to the show’s political intrigue.
Foundation is currently Apple TV+’s second most-watched series, just behind Ted Lasso (according to platforms like FlixPatrol and Reelgood, as of July 2025). Yet some observers suspect Apple had even higher hopes, given the symbolic and financial investment.
