Murderbot Sci-Fi Series Gets One Of DC’s Best Actors In Years
David Dastmalchian, well-known for playing villains in various DC properties, including Polka-Dot Man in The Suicide Squad and Abra Kadabra in The Flash TV show, is set to join the cast of the much-anticipated Apple TV+ sci-fi series, Murderbot. The fictional AI-centered world should be familiar territory for the sci-fi vet.
David Dastmalchian Joins Murderbot
Dastmalchian burst onto the scene with his breakout role in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, carving a niche for himself in comic and sci-f genres. Since then, he’s graced both the silver screen and television with roles in Marvel’s Ant-Man franchise, Denis Villeneuve’s Prisoners and Dune, and a recurring guest spot on the Macguyver revival. Not just confined to acting, David also showcased his writing skills by penning and starring in All Creatures Here Below.
His filmography also includes roles in the movie Oppenheimer and he will soon be seen in the upcoming horror film, Late Night with the Devil.
From The Director Of American Pie
The addition of Dastmalchian adds to an already impressive list of people working on Murderbot. The show is set to be managed, scripted, directed, and produced by brothers Chris and Paul Weitz, whose credits include American Pie and About a Boy, for which they received an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. Pau Wietz also is writer and director of Amazon Prime’s acclaimed Mozart in the Jungle.
More DC Talent Behind The Camera
It’s not just the Weitz brothers who are lending their expertise to Murderbot; a host of skilled executive producers, such as Andrew Miano, David S. Goyer, Keith Levine are also onboard. Goyer’s impressive pedigree includes executive producing The Dark Knight Trilogy, Blade, and Dark City, while Miano was involved with A Single Man and Prospect, and Levine produced 47 Meters Down, The Night House, and 2022’s Hellraiser.
The Star Of Murderbot
Additionally, Alexander Skarsgård headlines the cast. Skarsgård won an Emmy, a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, and a Critic’s Choice for his work on HBO’s Big Little Lies, although he is perhaps best known for portraying head vampire Eric Northam on True Blood. Skarsgård also has an executive producer credit on the project.
Based On A Book Series
The forthcoming series Murderbot is based on the critically acclaimed book series The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. The narrative circles around a self-hacking security android named Murderbot, which intriguingly feels a pull toward human emotions while simultaneously hiding its free will amidst perilous missions. Murderbot is forced to hide any instances of its free will while completing assignments despite suffering existential crises and hoping to learn more about humans by watching soap operas.
Six Novellas And A Novel
The main storyline of The Murderbot Diaries is composed of six novellas: All Systems Red, Artificial Condition, Rogue Protocol, Exit Strategy, Network Effect, and Fugitive Telemetry. A full-length novel, Network Effect, brings more depth to Murderbot’s character. Various short stories also exist that provide additional insights, making the entire series a rich and rewarding read.
The series is praised for its well-developed characters, action-packed storytelling, introspective themes, and ethical discussions, winning recognition through multiple prestigious awards such as the Nebula Award and the Hugo Award.
