Apple TV+’s upcomingNeuromancerseries has found its leading actor inMasters of the Air’s Callum Turner. The series will adapt William Gibson’s genre-defining science-fiction novel across 10 episodes. According to the official description, the series follows:
“A damaged, top-rung super-hacker named Case (Turner) who is thrust into a web of digital espionage and high stakes crime with his partner Molly, a razor-girl assassin with mirrored eyes, aiming to pull a heist on a corporate dynasty with untold secrets.”
The news comes fromVariety, who first reported that Callum Turner has been cast in the lead role as Henry Dorsett Case. Apple TV+‘sNeuromancerwas first announced in February this year, and Turner’s casting is the first major update regarding the project since.
Neuromancer
Published in 1984,Neuromancerhelped usher in the cyberpunk movement in the science-fiction genre, along with Philip K. Dick’sDo Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?(which was later adapted into Ridley Scott’sBlade Runner). The series is set in the 22nd century, and follows Henry Dorsett Case as he fights against his society, controlled by corporate bodies, by hacking into the global computer network’s ‘Cyberspace Matrix.’ William Gibson’s novel won the Nebula, Hugo, and Philip K. Dick awards — the three biggest awards in science-fiction publishing.
Neuromancerwill be Turner’s second series in partnership with Apple TV+. The actor previously starred in the World War II drama seriesMasters of the Air, alongside Austin Butler, Barry Keoghan, and Anthony Boyle. Callum Turner also recently starred inGeorge Clooney’sThe Boys in the Boat, telling the story of the University of Washington’s rowing team at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Turner is also well known for his appearances in the BBC’sWar & Peaceminiseries (starring Paul Dano & Lily James), Peacock’sThe Capture, andFantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
Apple Continues to Produce Great Science-Fiction Shows
Apple TV+ moving forward with adapting the complex, hard sci-fi world of William Gibson’sNeuromancershows their dedication to producing and adapting great science fiction shows. Apple has previously adapted Isaac Aasimov’s seminalFoundationtrilogy into an Emmy-nominated series, running for three seasons, with a total of eight seasons planned.
Season 2 of Apple TV+’s hit sci-fi thrillerSeverance, starring Adam Scott, Britt Lower, John Turturro, and Patricia Arquette, is also on the way.Apple recently shared the first image of Scott’s Mark Scoutin the show’s eagerly anticipated second season. The streaming platform also recently debuted its first kaiju-based sci-fi series.Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, which explores the aftermath of Godzilla’s attack on San Fransisco, dropped its first season in late 2023 to great reviews and an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Will Apple TV+ Soundly Overtake Netflix in 2024?
If these stats are anything to go by, Apple TV+ may soon be dethroning Netflix as the number one streaming service.
It’s not just classic science-fiction novels that Apple is adapting, asSilo, based on Hugh Howey’sWooltrilogy, was a major hit for the platform. The show’s star,Rebecca Ferguson, also teased that Apple has a lot more in the vault, and could see the show running for at least four seasons. Apple’s other hit sci-fi shows and movies includeFor All Mankind,Invasion,See,Exploitations, andFinch.
No release date has been revealed yet. The series is currently in pre-production.
