Attention! This is not a drill!
The Murderbot AppleTV show officially has a trailer!
Here are some additional details, but the most important info is that the first two episodes with premiere on Friday, May 16th. It will then release new episodes every Friday and will have a total of ten episodes.
Sarah: I am busy, I have things to do. I have watched it three times and paused on several different scenes. I think it looks SO FREAKING GOOD and I am beside myself.
I’ve been cautiously but seeing the stills from the Vanity Fair article (Paywalled, but reddit has some) I was optimistically excited. Now I have full on lost all control of myself. Just watched a third time.
I like the voice over, I like Skarsgåd’s dry bewilderment and discomfort, and I love the visuals, the casting, the fandom nods I’ve already spotted, the fact that we get scenes from The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon?!?! The casting seems terrific – Ratthi, Mensah, and Gurathin in particular – and the visual nods to the Subterranean Press illustrations!
I am not okay. I am unable to can. I AM MADE OF EXCITEMENT AND RAINBOWS. Sarcastic rainbows.
Have you watched the trailer yet? What do you think?
I AM SO EXCITED. If they spent that much money and effort on the show-within-a-show (Sanctuary Moon with John Cho and Jack McBrayer????), then I know they have dedicated themselves to appropriately translating Martha Wells’s wonderful print creations to TV.
I am cautiously excited. The trailer was a lot better than I was expecting and seems to capture the feel of the series.
However, casting a handsome hunk as Murderbot is still so wrong to me. Murderbot should be played by someone androgynous as Murderbot.
I only finally read Murderbot series this year and devoured them (I know, I know, Sarah has been praising them for years and it took me waaay too long to jump in – just glad I’m finally here). I can’t wait for this show! AppleTV appears to have really put the budget to good use and the show looks visually terrific while also capturing the spirit of the books.
I’m not bothered by the casting of Alexander Skarsgard because he seems to capture the essence of Murderbot. Even though I know Murderbot is androgynous I always pictured it as a ‘him’ and I think the sensibility and mannerism are going to be what makes the character.
Also, reading the series helped me figure out a huge reading wheelhouse for me right now- cozy stories with a snarky undertone, set in a future where humans live in space. More books and tv shows like this please!
OMG! I am so excited for this. Apple knows how to do sci fi and I CANNOT WAIT!!!
This loos so good! Much better than I expected. Love Skarsgard. Now I’ll have to break down and get an AppleTV subscription.
So freaking excited!!! And it is fitting I found out about the trailer from this site. Time for another rereading before the show debuts!
I always picture Murderbot as a she, even though it’s androgynous, and the casting was jarring, but after I got over that, I loved it! I’m glad they’re doing voiceover because the world inside Murderbot’s head is so darn funny. And Sanctuary Moon is just like I pictured it. Can’t wait to see it. Haven’t been this excited for a new series in a long time.
I am made of squee and I haven’t even watched the trailer yet.
Just finished a re-read of the series and I cannot wait for this.
Wow, that trailer is way more promising than I expected.
I’m of two minds about Skarsgard – his handsome, masculine face is not what I really had in mind from reading the books. But the sec-unit with the faceshield down fits my expectations, as does the voiceover.
I am definitely the odd one out here. This didn’t feel like Murderbot to me. I think I’m just struggling with Skarsgard. Murderbot is unobtrusive until it’s time to act but Skarsgard stands out. Literally! He’s a big guy.
Very excited about the show and loved the trailer, even though everything looks more shiny and new than how I pictured it. The images in my head of Murderbot’s world are more along the lines of washed up tech past its prime and a dingy, dirty look. The cast also seems to have more punchlines than how they came across in the book, but that could just be how things are edited for the trailer. The books are funny but this seems like it’s leaning more like a true comedy. I do love the casting and I think Skarsgård pulls off the physicality of the lanky bot in the book. I haven’t been this excited about a new show in years!
@Rebecca I also always pictured murderbot as more femme, glad I’m not the only one!! (Maybe I just identify too hard with it . . . ) I can’t even listen to the audiobooks for that reason
Murderbot’s voice is not how I picture it when I read. I think of it as deeper and more robotic… but I am so excited for this and will definitely be watching it.
I do have seventeen million opinions about the trailer, but the general impression is that this trailer “gets” the universe of our beloved SecUnit. (The completely wooden tone when SecUnit is facing the wall surrounded by humans for example)
Though this is influenced by the fact I’ve always assumed SecUnit had masc features. (Of course the company would go with stereotypical big white male for “trusty security guard”. Sexist and racist seems par for the course)
I read the books and then listened to the audiobooks, which are excellent by the way. Super excited about this! I guess I need to add a new streaming service this summer!
I am so excited! I was tentatively excited before, but this trailer really shows that they’re putting so much effort into it and they really get the vibes of the books. To me, Kevin R Free is the “voice” of Murderbot since I’ve mostly listened to the books, but I was pleasantly surprised that I don’t mind Alexander Skarsgard as Murderbot. And getting to actually watch parts of Sanctuary Moon? That is downright inspired and exactly the type of change that makes sense for a tv adaptation of a book. It really makes me trust this show is going to be great.
Thank you Sarah for introducing me to MB! I resisted, dived in, and think this show will be an excellent addition to the franchise.
I’ve had many conversations about this trailer today and I think my most bewildering discover is that I’m the only person on earth who gave Murderbot a feminine voice when reading it???
This little awkward tidbit along with the full trailer is honestly SO much better than I was expecting.
https://www.reddit.com/r/murderbot/comments/1juwbuj/exclusive_face_reveal_sneak_peek_from_murderbot/
Was pretty disappointed with the casting of Murderbot tbh. I was picturing someone way way more androgynous and less masc and much browner. And the face shield is more cartoony than I expected. I’m in wait and see mode.
I’m pretty sure my Scrooge-y little heart is going to actually pay for AppleTV+ for Murderbot.
Skarsgåd as MB doesn’t bother me too much. I’ve always though of MB as taller than most of the general population and a lower muscle to fat ratio… so, generally male in my experience. But what does get me irked (very, very slightly irked) is the facial hair – such as stubble and eyebrows – which shouldn’t show up until the middle of Artificial Condition.
I think it’s pretty funny that the more recent security unit model is actually closer in image to the one from the books.