Murderbot: Apple TV+ comedic sci-fi thriller series gets a May premiere date, unveils first look images

A little over a year ago, we learned that Alexander Skarsgard of Succession, The Legend of Tarzan, and The Northman had signed on to star in the ten-episode sci-fi series Murderbot, which is set up at Apple TV+. (Despite sharing a title with a recently released movie from Full Moon and director Jim Wynorski, this project is actually based on Martha Wells’ bestselling, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning book series The Murderbot Diaries.) Now, it has been announced that the show is going to make its global premiere on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes on Friday, May 16, followed by new episodes every Friday through July 11. A pair of first look images have also been unveiled, and you can check those out in this article.

The sibling duo of Chris and Paul Weitz (About a Boy) are writing, directing, and executive producing Murderbot under their Depth of Field banner. Andrew Miano is also executive producing for Depth of Field, while David S. Goyer executive produces alongside Keith Levine for Phantom Four. Wells is on board as consulting producer.

Coming our way from Paramount Television Studios, Murderbot is aiming to be action-packed. The series will introduce viewers to a self-hacking security android (Skarsgard) who is horrified by human emotion yet drawn to its vulnerable “clients.” Murderbot must hide its free will and complete a dangerous assignment when all it really wants is to be left alone to watch futuristic soap operas and figure out its place in the universe. A press release describes the show as a sci-fi thriller/comedy.

Skarsgard is joined in the cast by Noma Dumezweni (Presumed Innocent), David Dastmalchian (Oppenheimer), Sabrina Wu (Joy Ride), Akshay Khanna (Critical Incident), Tattiawna Jones (The Handmaid’s Tale), and Tamara Podemski (Outer Range). 

Wells’ The Murderbot Diaries series currently consists of seven novels and a few short stories. The novels have the following titles: All Systems Red, Artificial Condition, Rogue Protocol, Exit Strategy, Network Effect, Fugitive Telemetry, and System Collapse.

Does this Murderbot series sound interesting to you, and have you read any of The Murderbot Diaries? What do you think of Alexander Skarsgard starring in a show about an android who takes dangerous assignments and likes to watch soap operas? Check out the first look images, then let us know by leaving a comment below.