Science Fiction fans at San Diego Comic Con this past weekend enjoyed to a rare treat: The pilot episode of SyFy’s upcoming new series “The Expanse” aired during the panel. And judging by the reaction, we’ll all be watching it again in December when the series premieres!
Based on the best-selling series of novels by James S.A. Corey (the pen name for authors Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham), it spins the story of humanity 200 years in the future when we’ve inhabited other plants in the solar system. It’s a time when Earth wants to maintain control of the space colonies, Mars is fighting for equal standing in the power structure, and the outer planets of the Asteroid Belt collectively seek independence from both in a desire for sovereignty. With the Earth’s UN, the Martian Government and the de-facto Outer Planet Alliance (OPA) butting heads to the brink of war, a more provocative and far more deadly mystery is unfolding through the story of washed-out Ceres Detective Josephus Miller and Officer Jim Holden of the light frigate Rocinante. What they discover together, as unlikely allies, is a threat to all of humanity and redefines what everyone knows about non-human life in space.
The story is epic and I don’t use that term lightly. The world building is complete and extensive, and the characters are fully formed. There’s a reason SyFy has taken on the challenge of making these books into a series: Everyone will be watching. I admit I was a little emotional when the screening ended. I wanted to see it again right then. It’s not often tv or film versions are adapted so loyally from the source material. The care, effort and honest passion of everyone involved is evident in every frame, every shot. This is a series that The Powers That Be truly believe in, and you can feel it through every aspect. The cinematography is film-level, the editing is seamless, the acting is first class thanks to on-point casting, and the writing is beyond reproach when you have a fully invested writing team and the authors themselves on consult. I’ve read the books and I’m still ridiculously excited about watching the story unfold through the eyes of the cast and crew of the series. Everything about this is telling me we will be blowing up social media when it hits in December. I’m going to need a bigger tv!
Check out our videos below for our interviews with the cast and producers at SDCC 2015.
