- Apple TV+’s Foundation has reportedly found a new showrunner
- Fear the Walking Dead showrunner Ian Goldberg has reportedly been hired to replace David Goyer
- The big-budget sci-fi series is also getting a fourth season, apparently
Apple has reportedly hired a new showrunner for its critically-acclaimed Foundation TV show – and secretly greenlit a fourth season.
Per Deadline, the tech giant has secured the services of Ian Goldberg, whose previous credits include helming seasons 4 through 8 of Fear The Walking Dead. A big-budget and oft-times narratively complex sci-fi series is a far cry from Goldberg’s work on the dystopian horror spin-off of AMC’s popular The Walking Dead TV adaptation. However, Goldberg has penned scripts for other sci-fi shows, including Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Krypton, so the genre won’t be alien to him.
Goldberg’s rumored hiring comes exactly one year (i.e. February 26, 2024) after reports emerged that Foundation had lost its previous showrunner/executive producer David S. Goyer. The US filmmaker is said to have clashed with Apple TV+ executives over the budget for Foundation season 3, which is currently in its post-production phase. Goyer is believed to have stepped back from his duties following those apparently tense conversations, with Bill Bost being asked to oversee the rest of season 3’s lengthy shooting schedule.
Goldberg’s installation as the series’ new showrunner isn’t the only new, erm, news that Deadline reported on. The US outlet also claims that Foundation has been internally renewed for a fourth season and that a writers room has already been assembled by Goldberg to start work on its screenplays.
I reached out to Apple for comment on Goldberg’s hiring and the series’ season 4 renewal, but hadn’t received a response by the time of publication. I’ll update this article if I hear back.
Laying the groundwork for a brighter future
It’s an understatement to say that one of the best Apple TV+ shows has run into development problems since its outstanding second season aired in 2023 (read my Foundation season 2 review to find out why I liked it so much).
Two months after Foundation‘s season 3 renewal in December 2023, reports started to emerge that its cast and crew faced an agonizing filming delay amid multiple development issues with its third season. Principal photography had already started before these problems arose, but the 2023 Hollywood strikes and aforementioned budget woes were blamed as the main culprits for the hold-up last February.
Filming restarted on Foundation season 3 on February 19, 2024, but its problems didn’t end there. Goyer’s departure notwithstanding, the loss of Mikael Persbrandt, who had been cast as The Mule, an incredibly important and dangerous antagonist in Isaac Asimov’s Foundation book series, caused further issues. Game of Thrones‘ Pilou Asbaek was hired to play The Mule following a season 3 cast shake-up last March.
Thankfully, it doesn’t appear that there have been any other significant issues that have hampered season 3’s development. As long as its post-production phase continues to run as smoothly as possible, it’s likely that Foundation‘s next chapter will debut on one of the world’s best streaming services before 2025 ends.
For more details on its next season, read my dedicated Foundation season 3 guide or remind yourself what happened in its predecessor’s last episode by way of my Foundation season 2 ending explained piece.
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