Foundation coming to HBO someday MAYBE

[Cassie]

Jonathan Nolan Developing FOUNDATION For HBO | Badass Digest

It was only a matter of time before someone actually made Foundation. We've come close a couple of times, with movie versions being threatened. I've always been worried about this, as Isaac Asimov's novels - especially the core trilogy - do not lend themselves to movies. They take place over the course of thousands of years, telling the slow story of humanity's future after the Galactic Empire falls into barbarism. It's possibly Asimov's masterwork, and it's one of my all-time favorite stories. And it would only work as a TV show.

That might be happening, as Jonathan Nolan - who wrote Interstellar, in theaters now - is developing a series based on it for HBO. The climate seems absolutely right, as we live in a time where smarter scifi travels to wider audiences and where season-long anthology shows have found acceptance. The nature of Foundation means that whoever stars in the first season would be gone by the second (except for whoever plays Hari Seldon, the man who founds the Foundation, and who keeps popping up in recorded messages). As a TV show Foundation could be a close-ended epic on par with Game of Thrones but with the sweep of centuries.

Maybe it won't suck!

 

[CaptainWacky]

I wager Fuddlemiff would be interested in this!

 

[Fuddlemiff]

Yeah, I'm kinda sceptical it can be transferred to screen considering it's mostly cardboard characters discussing stuff instead of blowing things up and shooting people, but It's possible. If he works hard on fleshing out the characters and expands on some of the descriptions of the cities and space battles and wot not, then you could end up with something a bit like GoT's first season.

A lot of people are saying they want to see the mule, but if the book's descriptions are followed it'd be pretty goofy.

 

[curiousa2z]

yeah, I'm surprised at the idea, and not convinced it will work on screen. Funny story! my writers' group (kinds like AA, only for writers) was talking about this last night as we had a guest lecturer who was talking about writing screen plays. he has a fabulous house, buys all sorts of new musical instruments and amps, and say s it pays really well. Think about THAT , aspiring writers!

 

[Cassie]

They're either going to have to invent some female characters or do a Starbuck on some of the existing ones, IMO.

 

[CaptainWacky]

Well since Jonathan Nolan's writing they'll probably give dead wives to all the male characters.

 

[Fuddlemiff]

But if Christopher Nolan's involved we'll never hear about it, because the music/feels will drown out all dialogue.

 

[Cassie]

I wonder how many people will flip out if they add some women to the cast. FEMINAZIS! PC GONE MAD!

 

[CaptainWacky]

And they'll probably make some of the characters black and people will complain about "blackwashing" even though the ethnicity of the characters was never mentioned in the books and Asimov would probably be in favour of it.