Apple Working on TV Show Adapted From Isaac Asimov's 'Foundation' Novels - GeekWebGuides
Skip to Content

Apple Working on TV Show Adapted From Isaac Asimov's 'Foundation' Novels

asimovfoundationApple has inked a deal for a TV series adaptation of Isaac Asimov's Foundation science fiction novels, reports Deadline. The series, created by Skydance Television, is in development for straight-to-series consideration.

Skydance last June scored the rights to Asimov's estate, and since then, David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman, who will serve as executive producers and showrunners, have been working on developing a TV show based on the Foundation books. Goyer has previously worked on "The Dark Knight," "Batman Begins," Ghost Rider," and more, while Friedman is known for "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" and "Emerald City."

Foundation is Isaac Asimov's most popular and well-known science fiction series, which includes titular novel Foundation, Foundation and Empire, and Second Foundation, along with additional books Foundation's Edge and Foundation and Earth.

The series follows psychohistory expert and mathematician Hari Seldon who is able to predict the future. Seldon creates a group called the Foundation to preserve humanity's collective knowledge ahead of the impending fall of the Galactic Empire. The novels span many years and cover the rise and fall of multiple empires, so it isn't a simple undertaking to adapt it into a TV show.

Along with the Foundation-based TV show, Apple is working on several other science fiction shows, including a reboot of Steven Spielberg's "Amazing Stories," an untitled space drama developed by Ronald D. Moore, best known for the 2004 reboot of "Battlestar Galactica," and an epic world-building drama called "See," which is set in the future.

Apple has more than a dozen TV shows in development in total, and rumors have suggested we could see the first of these debut starting in 2019. For a full list of what Apple's working on, make sure to check out the original content section of our Apple TV roundup.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

Apple TV Sans Remote Feature

New Apple TV 4K Leaked

Friday September 25, 2026 8:16 am PDT by
GeekWebGuides contributor Aaron Perris has uncovered an image file from Apple for an unreleased Apple TV 4K, suggesting that a new model will finally be released soon. The image is specifically for an "Apple TV 4K (4th generation)" model. Apple TV 4K (4th generation) image (on a gradient) The image reveals that the Apple TV will have the same external design as the current model, with all of its...
Apple TV 4K HomeView HomePod Mini tweaked

New Apple TV 4K, HomeView, and HomePod Mini: 16 Details Just Leaked

Sunday October 11, 2026 12:56 pm PDT by
Just two days before Apple's "Welcome home" experience in New York, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has leaked several details about the new products set to be unveiled, including an all-new smart home hub, a HomePod mini 2, and a new Apple TV 4K. Here is an all-in-one summary of the details shared by Gurman:Apple's home hub with a touch-enabled display will be named HomeView, seemingly confirming a ...
HomePod minis Apple TV and iPad mini Leak Feature

iPad Mini With A20 Pro, New HomePod Mini Colors, and New Apple TV 4K All Just Leaked

Friday September 25, 2026 8:18 am PDT by
The next iPad mini, HomePod mini, and Apple TV 4K models have all leaked, just a few weeks before the devices are expected to be announced. Specifically, GeekWebGuides contributor Aaron Perris discovered a few of Apple's official images of the devices, confirming their existence and some new features that are planned. The most notable iPad mini details revealed in today's leak include an A20 Pro ...

Top Rated Comments

111 months ago
So far, none of the TV shows that have been rumored, do I have any interest in. SIGH
Shows are just shows, but what's really interesting are your personal preferences!

Me? I like giraffes.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
111 months ago
Now you've got my interest. Seems like a difficult series to adapt, and I'll be curious to see how they handle the tie-ins to his other series (particularly the Robots of Dawn and Robots and Empire books).
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SteveJay10 Avatar
111 months ago
So far, none of the TV shows that have been rumored, do I have any interest in. SIGH
Foundation series is fantastic group of books. Much promise there.
[doublepost=1523379256][/doublepost]
Horrible news. I have been waiting for someone to adapt this book series to TV, but having it appear on Apple TV with its Disneyfication of entertainment content, it will prove disappointing.

I agree that sex and violence and swearing need not always proliferate on these kinds of entertainment services, but Apple drawing the line and declaring they will provide ONLY "wholesome" programming will leave this entire franchise crippled for creative direction. There is a healthy balance between forcing cloyingly sweet "family" focused entertainment vs something an adult can dig into and actually enjoy once the kids go to bed.

The only thing worse then hearing Apple will pick up this franchise would be to find out ABC Freeform was going to distribute it. I don't care of the pedigree behind the showrunners of this franchise, Apple will force their hands creatively to suit Apple and so it will suck, period.
The Foundation series is totally PG. virtually no sex and little in any of the books. So it’s perfect for Apple.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
asopublic Avatar
111 months ago

Apple has inked a deal for a TV series adaption of Isaac Asimov's Foundation ('http://deadline.com/2018/04/apple-isaac-asimov-foundation-tv-series-david-goyer-josh-friedman-skydance-1202361072/') science fiction novels, reports Deadline ('http://deadline.com/2018/04/apple-isaac-asimov-foundation-tv-series-david-goyer-josh-friedman-skydance-1202361072/'). The series, created by Skydance television, is in development for straight-to-series consideration.

Skydance last June scored the rights to Asimov's estate, and since then, David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman, who will serve as executive producers and showrunners, have been working on developing a TV show based on the Foundation books. Goyer has previously worked on "The Dark Knight," "Batman Begins," Ghost Rider," and more, while Friedman is known for "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" and "Emerald City."

Foundation is Isaac Asimov's most popular and well-known science fiction series, which includes titular novel Foundation, Foundation and Empire, and Second Foundation, along with additional books Foundation's Edge and Foundation and Earth.

The series follows psychohistory expert and mathematician Hari Seldon who is able to predict the future. Seldon creates a group called the Foundation to preserve humanity's collective knowledge ahead of the impending fall of the Galactic Empire. The novels span many years and cover the rise and fall of multiple empires, so it isn't a simple undertaking to adapt it into a TV show.

Along with the Foundation-based TV show, Apple is working on several other science fiction shows, including a reboot of Steven Spielberg's "Amazing Stories ('https://www.geekwebguides.com/2017/10/10/apple-steven-spielberg-amazing-stories/')," an untitled space drama developed by Donald D. Moore ('https://www.geekwebguides.com/2017/12/15/apple-space-drama-tv-show/'), best known for the 2004 reboot of "Battlestar Galactica," and an epic world-building drama ('https://www.geekwebguides.com/2018/01/10/apple-see-drama-series/') called "See," which is set in the future.

Apple has more than a dozen TV shows in development in total, and rumors have suggested we could see the first of these debut starting in 2019. For a full list of what Apple's working on, make sure to check out the original content section of our Apple TV roundup ('https://www.geekwebguides.com/roundup/apple-tv/#apples_content_ambitions').

Article Link: Apple Working on TV Show Adapted From Isaac Asimov's 'Foundation' Novels ('https://www.geekwebguides.com/2018/04/10/apple-tv-show-asimov-foundation/')
[doublepost=1523377833][/doublepost]I can't wait!
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
111 months ago
Horrible news. I have been waiting for someone to adapt this book series to TV, but having it appear on Apple TV with its Disneyfication of entertainment content, it will prove disappointing.

I agree that sex and violence and swearing need not always proliferate on these kinds of entertainment services, but Apple drawing the line and declaring they will provide ONLY "wholesome" programming will leave this entire franchise crippled for creative direction. There is a healthy balance between forcing cloyingly sweet "family" focused entertainment vs something an adult can dig into and actually enjoy once the kids go to bed.

The only thing worse then hearing Apple will pick up this franchise would be to find out ABC Freeform was going to distribute it. I don't care of the pedigree behind the showrunners of this franchise, Apple will force their hands creatively to suit Apple and so it will suck, period.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
quatermass Avatar
111 months ago
Wow... On one side, I'm insanely excited to hear about this, and also filled with trepidation... anyone remember the monstrous carbuncle that was the movie "I, robot"? I just hope it's in the hands of people who've actually read the books and 'get' it. Someone once said of Asimov's stories that 'there's no action - it's all just talking', to which the answer was 'The talking IS the action"! Bizarrely, the first three books contain neither sex nor violence, and yet are still totally excellent. Creative direction not crippled by the lack thereof. It doesn't need to be turned into "Game of Thrones with Psychohistory" to be 'adult'.
Well, time will tell. Fingers crossed they don't try to make it "thin".
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Apple Pulls Keynote, Pages and Numbers From App Store
Apple Pulls Keynote, Pages and Numbers From App Store
7 minutes ago
Apple Updates More Apps With iPhone Duo Support
Apple Updates More Apps With iPhone Duo Support
37 minutes ago
Apple Will Label Apps 'Made for iPhone Duo' in App Store
Apple Will Label Apps 'Made for iPhone Duo' in App Store
3 hours ago
Amazon Takes $49 Off iPad With Prices Starting at $399.99
Amazon Takes $49 Off iPad With Prices Starting at $399.99
4 hours ago
F1 on Apple TV Now Available in Dolby Atmos
F1 on Apple TV Now Available in Dolby Atmos
5 hours ago
Apple Reveals More Than 50 Apps That Will Be Updated for iPhone Duo
Apple Reveals More Than 50 Apps That Will Be Updated for iPhone Duo
5 hours ago
Apple Blocks Certificates That Could Help Attackers Fake Websites
Apple Blocks Certificates That Could Help Attackers Fake Websites
6 hours ago
Giant iPhone Duo Installations Spotted at Apple Fifth Avenue
Giant iPhone Duo Installations Spotted at Apple Fifth Avenue
7 hours ago
iPhone Duo 2 Prototypes Include Under-Display Face ID
iPhone Duo 2 Prototypes Include Under-Display Face ID
7 hours ago
Tesla App Gains iPad and iPhone Duo Support
Tesla App Gains iPad and iPhone Duo Support
11 hours ago
Apple Reportedly Boosts iPhone Duo Orders by 44%
Apple Reportedly Boosts iPhone Duo Orders by 44%
12 hours ago
Fortnite Returning to Australian App Store After Court Ruling
Fortnite Returning to Australian App Store After Court Ruling
12 hours ago
Apple Ordered to Open iPhone to Rival App Stores in Australia
Apple Ordered to Open iPhone to Rival App Stores in Australia
12 hours ago
Apple Suppliers Face Hurdles Cutting Circuit Board Emissions
Apple Suppliers Face Hurdles Cutting Circuit Board Emissions
13 hours ago
Things Updated for iPhone Duo With Adaptive Layout
Things Updated for iPhone Duo With Adaptive Layout
13 hours ago
Simplicity and Siri AI Are HomeView's Killer Features, Apple Says
Simplicity and Siri AI Are HomeView's Killer Features, Apple Says
14 hours ago
iPhone Duo Reviewers Really Miss Face ID
iPhone Duo Reviewers Really Miss Face ID
19 hours ago
Does the iPhone Duo Run Hot? Here's What Reviews Found
Does the iPhone Duo Run Hot? Here's What Reviews Found
20 hours ago
Apple Music's New Look is Now Live on Apple's Website
Apple Music's New Look is Now Live on Apple's Website
21 hours ago
Anthropic Launches Claude Duet, a Proactive AI Agent
Anthropic Launches Claude Duet, a Proactive AI Agent
21 hours ago
What 32,000 Folds Did to the iPhone Duo's Hinge
What 32,000 Folds Did to the iPhone Duo's Hinge
22 hours ago
iPhone Duo's Hidden FaceTime Camera Takes 'Trash' Photos
iPhone Duo's Hidden FaceTime Camera Takes 'Trash' Photos
1 day ago
iPhone Duo Has 'Edge Light' Feature That Debuted on Macs Last Year
iPhone Duo Has 'Edge Light' Feature That Debuted on Macs Last Year
1 day ago
Apple Support App Updated for iPhone Duo's Larger Display
Apple Support App Updated for iPhone Duo's Larger Display
1 day ago
Amazon Sweetens the Deal on Entry-Level 16-Inch MacBook Pro With $570 Off
Amazon Sweetens the Deal on Entry-Level 16-Inch MacBook Pro With $570 Off
1 day ago
iPhone Duo Tips Over on MagSafe Stands When Unfolded
iPhone Duo Tips Over on MagSafe Stands When Unfolded
1 day ago
Apple Music's New Look Officially Announced
Apple Music's New Look Officially Announced
1 day ago
iPhone Duo Supports Apple Pencil Starting With iOS 27.2
iPhone Duo Supports Apple Pencil Starting With iOS 27.2
1 day ago
iPhone Duo Accessories Roundup: Cases and Screen Protectors From OtterBox, ZAGG, and More
iPhone Duo Accessories Roundup: Cases and Screen Protectors From OtterBox, ZAGG, and More
1 day ago
Apple Stores Will Have 'Limited' Availability of iPhone Duo for Walk-In Customers
Apple Stores Will Have 'Limited' Availability of iPhone Duo for Walk-In Customers
1 day ago