With the recent announcement that Apple TV+ is bringing Isaac Asimov’s “Foundation” novel series to its streaming service with Lee Pace and Jared Harris starring, our excitement couldn’t be any higher. The acclaimed, iconic sci-fi novels are finally getting the big-budget adaptation they deserve with two actors arguably at the height of their game. But pardon me if my excitement is just a wee bit tempered by the news that Ruper Sanders has signed on to direct the pilot episode.
According to Deadline, Sanders has signed on to make his TV directing debut on the upcoming “Foundation” series for Apple TV+. Now, don’t get me wrong, Sanders is a fine filmmaker, but his output is just a bit hit-or-miss, and it’s hard to figure out just what will happen with him at the helm of such an ambitious, complicated project.
“Foundation” tells the story of a group of people that find that the best way to save the culture and society of the Galactic Empire from the brink of devastation is by spreading the knowledge to the far ends of the galaxy, in hopes that the fall of the empire will not mean the end of everything that has been discovered and developed under its reign. This isn’t the prototypical sci-fi adventure film that many TV viewers might be expecting and will no doubt require a deft hand in its adaptation. That’s the part that gives me pause.
You see, Sanders has two films under his belt, not a whole lot to go off of to be sure. His first film, “Snow White and the Huntsman,” isn’t a terrible film, at all, and was enough of a hit to spawn a sequel. Unfortunately, it’s not a piece of work that proves that Sanders is one of the best directors around. And further complicating things is the filmmaker’s second film, “Ghost in the Shell,” which for all the cries of whitewashing (which is valid criticism), is also just not a good movie at all. Also, let’s not forget that he was previously attached to the doomed film “Rub & Tug,” which found itself in a shitstorm of social media outrage last year.
READ MORE: ‘Rub & Tug’ Reportedly Not Moving Forward Due To Scarlett Johansson Departure
So, with only two examples of work, it’s hard to know which Sanders will show up for “Foundation.” However, the report does say that Sanders has been hoping to break into the era of Peak TV and has been carefully choosing which project to work on. In addition, Deadline says the filmmaker is a fan of the novel series, which should give just a little hope if nothing else.
There’s no release date for “Foundation,” but the series is clearly a priority for Apple, who is looking to make waves in the world of streaming content. Fingers crossed that “Foundation” could be as great as it deserves to be.