Murderbot is finally getting the adaptation it deserves – and this is what we know about it.
Apple TV+ has some of the best shows. Whether you’re looking for a comedy, a drama, or something in between, the streaming service has it. And now, we’re getting Murderbot, a new drama/sci-fi.
The new series comes from Academy Award nominees Chris and Paul Weitz, known as the Weitz Brothers, but what is this new series about? And who is going to star in it? This is what we know so far.
What Is The Murderbot Premiere Date?
As of updating this in January 2025, there is no set premiere date for Murderbot. However, it’s not too surprising as Apple TV+ sometimes takes a while to deliver their award-winning shows. A safe bet would be to probably expect it to come out at some point during the 2025 TV premiere schedule, but we don’t have an exact date yet.
What Is Murderbot About?
If you’re not familiar with the popular sci-fi book series, you’re probably wondering what Murderbot is even about. The book series of the same name by Martha Wells, and as mentioned in the announcement from Apple TV+, follows a security android who is repelled by the emotions that humans feel, and yet can’t help but feel drawn to them and to his clients, curious as to how they work. This only begins to build his free will – something the people who program him don’t want the android to have.
He has to hide his free will amidst performing assignments, but in reality, he wants to live an everyday life as humans do while trying to see where he fits in the grand scheme of the world.
This sounds like it could join the ranks of the best sci-fi TV shows, or the best dystopian TV shows. This is an exciting premise with a different take that I don’t think we get to see that often.
The Murderbot Cast
Thankfully, we have plenty of updates in terms of casting when it comes to Murderbot. Here is who you can expect to see:
Alexander Skarsgård
Apple TV+ confirmed that Alexander Skarsgård will be the star of Murderbot and a Deadline article noted that he will be playing the main character, a cyborg security agent.
This isn’t Skarsgård’s first television role. The actor has appeared in several shows that you might recognize him from. He was a massive part of Succession Season 4 and held a leading role on the hit TV show True Blood, as well as parts in shows such as The Stand and Big Little Lies, for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award.
Skarsgård also appeared in various films, including the intense The Northman, Infinity Pool, Godzilla v. Kong, Long Shot, The Legend of Tarzan, and many more. Skarsgård is an excellent choice for this lead role, and I have a feeling he will rock it in more ways than one.
David Dastmalchian
According to Deadline in February 2024, David Dastmalchian joined Murderbot. The actor will play the character Gurathin.
He’s appeared in various movies before, such as Blade Runner 2049, Prisoners, and Dune, as well as the movie Late Night with the Devil. He’s set to star as Mr. 3 in One Piece in the upcoming second season.
Noma Dumezweni
Deadline reported in early March 2024 that Noma Dumezweni would be on the cast of Murderbot. She is going to play the character Mensah.
The actress has done a ton of stage work, including A Raisin in the Sun, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and several other works. Aside from that, she has appeared in films like Mary Poppins Returns, The Little Mermaid, The Friend and more. She also appeared in the miniseries Presumed Innocent, as well as Only Murders in the Building, among other roles.
Sabrina Wu
Deadline confirmed the last four cast members in early March 2024. The first is Sabrina Wu, who will play Pin-Lee.
The actor has appeared in other TV shows such as Abbott Elementary, and The Tonight Show in a stand-up special. They also held a role in Joy Ride.
Tattiawna Jones
The second actor confirmed is Tattiawna Jones, who will play Arada. She’s appeared in films such as Under the Christmas Tree, The Nest, Tully and more. She also held a main role in Flashpoint, and several recurring roles in shows like The 100 (one of the best CW shows out there), Transplant, Orphan Black: Echoes and more.
Akshay Khanna
The third actor confirmed is Akshay Khanna, who will play Ratthi in Murderbot. The actor is primarily known for his roles in films such as Red, White and Royal Blue and Polite Society, as well as his roles in shows like The Doll Factory and Critical Incident.
Tamara Podemski
The last actor confirmed is Tamara Podemski, who will play Bharadwaj. The actress has appeared in films such as Fancy Dance and Guest of Honour, as well as TV shows like Reservation Dogs, and Ghosts, as well as Outer Range.
Talk about a stacked cast. It just makes me more excited.
About The Book Series
As mentioned above, the new series is based on the book series of the same name, written by Martha Wells, known as The Murderbot Diaries. The series has been ongoing since 2017, and seven books in total have been released – all within the last six years.
Her books have gained critical acclaim and appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List. The series also won two Nebula Awards and won the 2021 Hugo Award for best series.
Chris and Paul Weitz Are The Creators, Directors And Writers Of Murderbot
From the Apple TV+ announcement mentioned above, the Weitz Brothers (or Chris and Paul Weitz) are the creators, directors, and writers of the upcoming Murderbot series.
If these names sound familiar, these two have worked on several films. The brothers co-directed the iconic American comedy film American Pie, which gave us the incredible American Pie cast, and About A Boy. Chris Weitz directed New Moon, one of the films in the Twilight film franchise, and The Golden Compass.
The two siblings also co-directed Down to Earth, a fantasy comedy movie starring Chris Rock. Talk about an impressive resume. Considering these two have been on their game in the past with some of these films, I can’t wait to see them bring this sci-fi TV show to life.
The Series Will Be Ten Episodes
We know from the Apple TV+ announcement that Murderbot is only going to have ten episodes. This isn’t surprising, as most Apple TV+ shows tend to have fewer episodes.
Truthfully, many shows nowadays have a shorter number of episodes, which usually means each one is longer than those of a typical network show. And, if that means we can still get a great story, I’m down for however many episodes this show has.
Filming Reportedly Began In March 2024
The annoying part with Murderbot is that there haven’t been that many updates with filming. But, according to CancelledScifi.com, filming did reportedly begin for Murderbot in March 2024, and also said that it would release at some point on the streamer in 2025.
Since then, there haven’t been any updates regarding filming – at least official ones and not just rumors – but I guess we’ll just have to be patient and wait and see.
What are you the most excited for when it comes to Murderbot? While we don’t have a set premiere date yet, I’m sure it won’t be long before we hear some news on this sci-fi series. I think it’s time to read all those books, don’t you think?
