Apple TV+ has a hugely underrated hit on its hands with Foundation, a sci-fi show based on the novels by Isaac Asimov. The series follows ‘The Foundation,’ a group determined to save their universe from thousands of years of chaos predicted by their founder, Hari Seldon, by going against the Empire. With season two concluding in 2023, has the show been renewed by a third season, and when should we expect it? Here’s everything we know so far…
When is season 3 coming out?
After a nail-biting wait following the show’s season two finale, it was confirmed that the drama would be back for a third instalment. Showrunner David S Goyer said: “I’m thrilled Apple has given us the opportunity to continue chronicling [Isaac] Asimov’s pioneering galactic saga.
Head of programming Matt Cherniss added: “We have all been incredibly impressed with the ambitious, action-packed and imaginative adaptation that David and the rest of this gifted creative team and cast have brought to life with this premium sci-fi series from day one.”
However, due to filming delays, it is unclear when the show will be back for a third season, but we think it’s unlikely we won’t be seeing it on our screens until 2025 at the earliest.
What are the filming delays?
According to Deadline, production for season three has been delayed due to budgeting and issues with production. Cast and crew were convened in Poland and Prague when they were told to pack up while the issues were sorted out. They also took a long break due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, and are believed to have already filmed around a third of season three.
How did season two end?
The conclusion of season two saw several characters including Salvor Hardin, Hober Mallow and Bel Riose killed while defying the Empire, while Constant went on to spread the word of The Foundation.
Meanwhile, the surviving members of the Foundation were saved from the destruction of their base planet Terminus by Hari Seldon, and are currently in space in his ship.
It was also revealed that the three Cleon clones behind the Empire - Brother Dawn, Day and Dusk - aren’t actually controlling it at all, but are ultimately puppets for Demerzel, their robot advisor. Demerzel now also owns a copy of Hari’s Prime Radiant, which will give her all of the predictions for the future based on Hari’s calculations.
As for Hari and Gaal, season two concluded with the pair of them going into cryosleep for another 100 years before to prepare for the upcoming war with ‘The Mule’. After they are put to sleep, the show time jumps by a century, with the Mule realising that Gaal is near and that he has to find her.