Apple TV+ Renews See And Other Originals Ahead Of November Launch

One of the biggest companies in the world is about to do a cannonball into the swimming pool of television and film. And Apple is leading its efforts with Stargate Atlantis actor Jason Momoa, who stars in the new original drama See.

And while Apple TV+ doesn’t launch until November 1, it has apparently already handed out a renewal to See — along with fellow launch titles Dickinson, Little America, and Home Before Dark. The Hollywood Reporter says that the pick-ups are in the works are part of the new streaming service’s plans for its second wave of content.

See chronicles a world 600 years in the future, when humankind has been decimated by a virus that left all survivors blind. Now, centuries later, a pair of twins are born with the mythical ability to see — threatening to overturn the world as it is.

Momoa stars as Baba Voss, the children’s father, who must protect his family and the Alkenny tribe. Alfre Woodard, Sylvia Hoeks, Hera Hilmar, Christian Camargo, and Nesta Cooper also star.

Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) created and executive produces the show.

See is an expensive show, with sources estimating that cash-rich Apple has already poured somewhere in the neighborhood of $240 million into what will be the first two seasons. The result is a fictional world that Apple execs say will be as big as Game of Thrones.

“When 99.99 percent of the population is no longer there and the world is more tribal, would we actually be more connected to each other than we have been in hundreds of years? That flip was really interesting to me,” Apple programming VP Jamie Erlicht told Emmy Magazine. “And that’s why I think See has parallels to modern times.

“When something new arrives to threaten the status quo, what will happen to that status quo? In that journey is an epic, world-building adventure. Can it be as epic as, say, a Game of Thrones? We answer that question early on with a resounding ‘yes!'”

Momoa and Woodard appear on the cover of the magazine’s latest issue (which also includes a voucher for 3 months of Apple TV+ free for subscribers). Also check out this behind-the-scenes video with the two talking about the show on the set of the magazine photo shoot.

“My agent said he was going to fight for me to get the role and I needed to read the script right away,” Momoa said. “I was so blown away by the first three pages, I read them out loud to my two best friends, who were with me. It’s the first time I’ve ever done that with a script. I was like, ‘Get me that meeting! Get me that role!'”

Apple TV+ launches November 1, with an opening salvo of nine original series. It is one of two major launches next month, with Disney readying its Disney+ streaming service on November 12. Disney too hopes to shake up the arena of original programming, with a big investment in original series for the Star Wars and Marvel universes, among others.

Just how big a deal will Apple’s streaming service be? Interest in the platform from the Roku set-top customer base alone may be an early indicator: Just today Roku announced that it has added the Apple TV app, momentarily jolting Roku’s stock a whopping 10 percent. (It has since come back down.)

Apple’s app is also on its way to Amazon Fire TV, Smart TVs from Vizio, LG, and Sony, and other devices.

The app is free, but of course the service itself will require a $4.99 monthly subscription. The company will offer a 7-day free trial, as well as lengthier promotions for its customers. New buyers of an Apple iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Mac from September 10 will be eligible for 12 months of the streaming service for free.

Apple TV+ is planning more offerings for fans of the speculative fiction genre. That includes the space drama For All Mankind (from Battlestar Galactica and Outlander‘s Ronald D. Moore), and Steven Spielberg’s reboot of the anthology classic Amazing Stories. Apple is also developing what could end up being one of the most ambitious adaptations of classic science fiction ever attempted: Isaac Asimov’s Foundation.

Meanwhile, the first season of See will be comprised of 10 episodes. Take a look at the trailer below, and let us know if you’ll be watching!