Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas 172 | David Goyer on Televising the Fall of the Galactic Empire
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Nov 8, 2021 David Goyer, an award-winning screenwriter known for the Dark Knight trilogy, dives into the challenges of adapting Isaac Asimov's Foundation series for television. He discusses the delicate balance between honoring the source material and creating visually engaging narratives. Goyer also explores the relationship between science and storytelling, emphasizing the importance of addressing contemporary themes while remaining faithful to the original's complexities. Moreover, he highlights the intricacies of character development in serialized formats and the expectations of devoted fan bases.
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Adapting Existing IP
- Adapt pre-existing intellectual property (IP) for better chances of profit.
- Original ideas are harder to sell, due to studios wanting pre-association for profits.
Foundation's Origins and Evolution
- Isaac Asimov's Foundation series began as short stories about a Galactic Empire's fall, predicted by psychohistory.
- Asimov tied Foundation to his Robot series later, creating a unified Asimovian universe.
Adapting Disconnected Stories
- Asimov's Foundation stories were episodic and lacked continuous character arcs, posing an adaptation challenge.
- David Goyer addressed this by creating the genetic dynasty of Cleons, embodying the Empire's resistance to change.
