Invasion - What We Know So Far
If you're on the hunt for a new epic sci-fi story in the vein of "War of the Worlds," look no further than Apple TV+'s upcoming series "Invasion."
The series, the first teaser trailer for which Apple TV+ recently launched, comes from creators Simon Kinberg ("X-Men" franchise screenwriter) and David Weil (Amazon's "Hunters" and "Solos"). According to Apple's official description, the 10-episode sci-fi drama "follows an alien invasion from different perspectives around the world." It's set — and was filmed — all over the world, including New York, Manchester in the United Kingdom, Morocco, and Japan, according to Deadline. Star Shamier Anderson told the Hollywood Reporter that it has a $200 million budget, but Apple can afford to spend big money on its shows, since it has almost $200 billion cash on hand, per CNBC.
Kinberg and Weil co-wrote "Invasion" alongside "The Outsider" writer Andrew Baldwin. Those three are executive producers, as are Audrey Chon ("The Twilight Zone"), Amy Kaufman ("When They See Us"), Elisa Ellis, and Katie O'Connell Marsh ("Narcos"). "The Alienist" director Jakob Verbruggen is directing and executive producing, and "The Umbrella Academy" director Amanda Marsalis is also helming some episodes, according to Variety.
It's a very ambitious project that could be one of the biggest shows of 2021. Here's everything we know so far about "Invasion."
What's the release date for Invasion?
"Invasion" was announced in early 2019, and it took some time for it to get off the ground. Kinberg and Weil were busy working on the upcoming film "The 355" and the series "Hunters," respectively, when writing for "Invasion" began in earnest after Apple picked it up (via Deadline). Kinberg was initially slated to direct the pilot but had to pull out, which set back the production schedule. Chad Feehan was brought in to write and executive produce, but he was relieved of his duties in September 2019 after Kinberg and Weil became more available and increased their involvement in the series.
Once the show was finally in production, the pandemic happened, and filming had to shut down. "Invasion" became one of the first American TV series to resume production in August 2020, according to Deadline. Filming was completed in March 2021, as confirmed in an Instagram post by star Shioli Kutsuna, who described the shoot as "the longest and one of the most challenging experiences [she's] ever had," since "Invasion" filmed in four different countries.
Finally, after all that, the series is almost ready to come out. The first three episodes of "Invasion" premiere on Apple TV+ on Friday, October 22. Subsequent episodes will air weekly on Fridays.
Who's in the cast of Invasion?
"Invasion" has an impressive cast of several rising stars and one screen legend. "Jurassic Park" star Sam Neill leads the cast as Sheriff John Bell Tyson, whom Deadline describes as "a weathered rural lawman on the verge of retirement" when the invasion touches down in his small community.
"Wynonna Earp" and "Stowaway" star Shamier Anderson plays Trevante Ward, "an extraordinary soldier stationed in Afghanistan." Speaking with the Hollywood Reporter about working on "Invasion," Anderson shared, "It was a very tiring and physically demanding process. I can't give away too much on the plot points, but you're going to see a physical transformation. I really immersed myself into that piece, and even though I can't say too much, I spent some time sleeping in the deserts of Morocco to really get into the mind."
Golshifteh Farahani plays Aneesha Malik, described as a "first generation Syrian immigrant, wife and mother living in Long Island." Firas Nassar is her husband Ahmed, "a Syrian immigrant and successful businessman."
Shioli Kutsuna, best known for her role as Yukio in "Deadpool 2," plays Mitsuki, "an intelligent member of mission control in Japan's space program JASA." And while she hasn't been officially announced as being part of the cast, "Pacific Rim" star Rinko Kikuchi is briefly seen as an astronaut in the "Invasion" trailer.
What's the plot of Invasion?
The plot of "Invasion" is being kept under wraps for now, but it's a "War of the Worlds"-style alien invasion story in which the world has to band together to try to fight off an interstellar threat. According to Deadline, early versions of the project were even described in terms of "War of the Worlds." The tagline for the show is "hold on to your humanity," which teases that the fight to save Earth will take a bigger toll on mankind than anyone might realize initially.
Judging by the trailer, "Invasion" will follow each member of the ensemble as they come to terms with their destiny in saving the world. "There's a reason we're all put on this earth," Neill's character intones. "One purpose to everything. Over the course of our life, we come to understand why. Why me? Sometimes it's many things; most times it's just one. One reason for everything. After all these years, there is nothing. Until today. All these signs. Maybe God is giving me something. Something bigger. Maybe this is the point to all of this. We would finally have our stand."
Mark your calendars for "Invasion" to debut on Apple TV+ on October 22.