Apple TV+'s sci-fi comedy series Murderbot premieres on May 16, with an official trailer dropping today that previews star Alexander Skarsgård (The Northman, Infinity Pool) as a hilariously over-it android.
Based on Martha Wells' bestselling books The Murderbot Diaries, Murderbot is written and directed by Chris and Paul Weitz (American Pie, About a Boy), with Wells serving as executive producer.
Paramount Television Studios' 10-episode series follows Skarsgård's genderless cyborg known as SecUnit, who has managed to free itself from the shackles of a futuristic megacorporation. Murderbot must hide its free will and complete a dangerous assignment when all it really wants is to be left alone to watch futuristic soap operas and figure out its place in the universe.
Starring alongside Skarsgård are Noma Dumezweni, Fango fave David Dastmalchian, Sabrina Wu, Akshay Khanna, Tattiawna Jones, and Tamara Podemski.
Previously, Skarsgård compared SecUnit to Eric Northman, the towering Swedish vampire who he played for seven years of HBO's True Blood:
“They are observing humanity from a similar distance […] Eric used to be human, so in a way he can relate, even though it’s been a millennium. But he also finds them incredibly silly and petty and just…insignificant. Murderbot has organic components, so there are human components there. I think it can also understand or feel something. There’s something about being an outsider, and observing humanity from a slight distance, and being a bit confused and perplexed by it.”
Murderbot is produced by Weitz brothers under their Depth of Field banner. David S. Goyer executive produces, alongside Keith Levine for Phantom Four and Andrew Miano for Depth of Field.
Check out the new Murderbot trailer below and catch it on Apple TV+ on May 16:
