Entertainment
Apple TV’s New Cyberpunk Sci-Fi Has Everything ‘Altered Carbon’ Fans Have Been Waiting For
When Neuromancer hits Apple TV, it will have been more than six years since cyberpunk fans had a live-action series to watch. As expectations soar for the upcoming adaptation of William Gibson‘s seminal novel of the same name, Neuromancer promises to fill the void left by another great series on streaming. A hidden Netflix gem, this two-season show was the first to do right by the cyberpunk genre in live action. Unfortunately, it didn’t have the time to prove itself beyond a couple of seasons, and fans have been left wanting more ever since.
‘Altered Carbon’s Untimely Cancellation Left Fans Wanting More Live-Action Cyberpunk on TV
It might sound odd at first, but there has been only one cyberpunk live-action series on television so far. There are countless live-action movies and great animated series, so fans of the subgenre have no shortage of options to choose from, considering everything from Blade Runner to Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, for example. Live-action TV, however, is a different story, so when Altered Carbon premiered on Netflix in 2018, it was a big deal — and a little gamble, too.
The series itself adapts Richard K. Morgan‘s wildly imaginative novel and introduces concepts to television like “sleeves” (an “empty” human body that a person can upload their consciousness into) and “meths” (extremely wealthy individuals who can afford clones of themselves to use as sleeves). Those are typical cyberpunk concepts, blending human flesh and machine, and were part of a complex mystery that re-sleeved mercenary Takeshi Kovacs (Joel Kinnaman) had to solve.
The cyberpunk and pulpy noir elements of Altered Carbon were a hit with viewers, with many considering Season 1 among the best works of the subgenre in visual media. Its self-contained story worked perfectly, but proved a tough act for Season 2 to follow, on which both fans and critics generally agree. When Netflix canceled Altered Carbon months after the release of Season 2, it was a surprise, because there was promise in its premise.
Apple TV’s ‘Neuromancer’ Will Adapt William Gibson’s Quintessential Cyberpunk Novel
Given how things ended for Altered Carbon, it’s no surprise that viewers may be wary about cyberpunk’s future on live-action television. Apple TV, though, is going all in by adapting Neuromancer, the novel credited with starting cyberpunk back in the 1980s. The streamer is biding its time with an official release, with the series’ premiere slated for late 2026 and only a very brief teaser dropped so far. However, it has notoriously become the home of prestige sci-fi on streaming, so fans are understandably excited.
The story follows Case (Callum Turner), a small-time thief who tries to steal from his boss, and, as a result, gets his own connection to the matrix (a virtual extension of the real world that can be accessed by neural implants) severed; without it, he is essentially a pariah. Desperate for a fix, Case is recruited by the mysterious Molly (Briana Middleton) for a high-stakes globe-trotting heist led by a shady former military officer called Armitage (Mark Strong).
Until recently, Neuromancer was considered “unadaptable,” given its premise and worldbuilding. There have been countless attempts over the past decades, but with cyberpunk thriving in films that build on the novel’s original influence, it seems the time has finally come. Despite its proven track record with sci-fi, Apple has a lot riding on the series’ success, too, as Neuromancer doesn’t seem like the kind of investment the streamer would make without a guaranteed return.
‘Altered Carbon’ Owes a Lot to ‘Neuromancer,’ Making Apple TV’s Adaptation the Perfect Replacement
Altered Carbon never got a proper ending due to its untimely cancellation, but, for all its faults, it proved that it was possible to make good cyberpunk television in live-action. Altered Carbon did break new ground, in this sense, by showing that technology and visual effects have evolved to match the scope of these stories. Despite a large slate of existing series, animation is unfortunately still considered a niche medium, so live-action programming will always feel like a safer bet for the industry.
What Apple TV is doing is cutting out the middle man, so to speak. Instead of searching for a good cyberpunk story to adapt, as Netflix did, Apple went straight to the cyberpunk story with Neuromancer, which is still regarded as the subgenre’s best work. It’s exactly the kind of bold swing the streamer is known for, on the heels of adapting other sci-fi classics like Foundation and making great original series like Pluribus.
In the end, Apple’s adaptation is the perfect way to bring live-action cyberpunk back to the small screen. Neuromancer may be a risk, but it’s the safest bet possible, considering what every other cyberpunk story owes to it, including Altered Carbon. After the Netflix series confirmed there was an audience for this type of production, it took the industry more than six years to return to it. Anyone still mourning the end of Altered Carbon can rest easier knowing that the wait for something just as good, and quite possibly even better, is nearly over.
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