Lee Pace and Jared Harris Cast in Apple's Isaac Asimov 'Foundation' Adaptation - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Lee Pace and Jared Harris Cast in Apple's Isaac Asimov 'Foundation' Adaptation

Lee Pace and Jared Harris have scored lead roles in Apple's upcoming "Foundation" series that's based on the classic Isaac Asimov novel of the same name, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

asimovfoundation
Pace is known for his roles in "Pushing Daisies" and "Halt and Catch Fire," along with his work in "The Hobbit" movies. Harris is known for "Chernobyl," "Carnival Row," "The Crown," "The Expanse," and "Mad Men," among other TV shows and movies.

Asimov's "Foundation" series follows a 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.

There are multiple novels in the "Foundation" series that span many years and cover the rise and fall of multiple empires. Harris will be playing Hari Seldon, the mathematical genius, while Pace will play Brother Day, the Emperor of the Galaxy.

Apple TV+ is set to launch on November 1, but as "Foundation" is still in the casting stages, it will be some time before it premieres. The service will launch with titles like "The Morning Show," "See," "For All Mankind," and "Dickinson."

Apple is charging $4.99 per month for ‌Apple TV‌+, but customers who purchase an iPhone, iPad, ‌Apple TV‌, or Mac can get a free year of service. Each $4.99 subscription fee allows up to six family members to watch.

Popular Stories

Apple TV Silo

Apple Releases 'Silo' Season Three Trailer Ahead of Hit Show's Return

Tuesday June 2, 2026 7:13 am PDT by
Apple's hit sci-fi series "Silo" is returning for a third season starting Friday, July 3, and a final trailer was released today. "Silo" follows the lives of 10,000 people living in an underground bunker to escape the seemingly toxic wasteland outside. The people are unaware of why the silo was built, and those who seek the truth face deadly consequences. Rebecca Ferguson stars as Juliette...
Apple TV Lucky

Apple TV Shares Trailer for New Heist Series Starring Anya Taylor-Joy

Wednesday June 3, 2026 7:18 am PDT by
Apple TV today released a trailer for "Lucky," an upcoming crime series starring and executive produced by award-winning actress Anya Taylor-Joy. The show revolves around a heist gone wrong. "When a multimillion-dollar heist goes sideways, con artist Lucky (Taylor-Joy) is forced to go on the run," said Apple. "Pursued by both the FBI and a ruthless crime boss, Lucky must fight for her...
Eddy Cue 2026

Apple's Eddy Cue to Receive 'Entertainment Person of the Year' Award

Wednesday May 20, 2026 6:57 am PDT by
Apple senior vice president Eddy Cue will be honored as "Entertainment Person of the Year" at the Cannes Lions festival next month, recognizing his leadership of the company's entertainment and services business (via Variety). Cue will deliver a keynote on the opening day of the festival, which runs from June 22 to June 26 in the south of France. He will be joined by producer Jerry...

Top Rated Comments

87 months ago
I changed careers from TV post to software engineering, but the news just follows me.
I dig that it's Apple related, but it's not Apple. You know? Are there going to be casting updates for all Apple TV shows, when the catalog expands to a huge number of things? Can you at least post the LAcasting notices so some of us can go on auditions?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nutmac Avatar
87 months ago
Sounds good. I love both actors and I love the book series.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
87 months ago
💤 I haven't seen anything of interest in any of Apple's TV efforts. I don't think I am their target market.

If I buy an iPhone can I have a discount if I don't want Apple TV+ bundled with it?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
87 months ago

Asimov's "Foundation" series follows a psychohistory expert and mathematician Hari Seldon who is able to predict the future.
I don't like this wording, he doesn't predict the future. He uses mathematical probability based on historical events to determine within a degree a certainty how future humans will behave en masse. ie he knows what a society will do based on probability, but not what an individual will do.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kabeyun Avatar
87 months ago

💤 I haven't seen anything of interest in any of Apple's TV efforts. I don't think I am their target market.
Baffling. ATV+ will have comedies, dramas, dramedies, documentaries, thrillers, legal drama, LGBTQ, horror, war, and now Azimov’s Hugo-award winning material fleshed out into a high-budget series with top talent. What target market are you thinking of? Gradeschoolers who miss Teletubbies?

I’m starting to think that comments like this are just becoming a thing to say. Has everyone actually seen the full list of projects under development? And not a single show is even remotely worth considering?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
D.T. Avatar
87 months ago
Amazing source material, two outstanding acting talents. Seems like a win, and with Apple's funding, there won't be any "technical limitations". A __touch__ underwhelmed at having just David Goyer at the helm, but I'm sure he'll have some excellent supporting talent.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)