Sci-Fi Series ‘Murderbot’ Gets Release Date on Apple TV+, First Look Revealed

Apple TV+ has revealed the premiere date for its upcoming sci-fi series while revealing the first look photos. Based on the Martha Wells novel series, The Murderbot Diaries, Murderbot will be released on Friday, May 16, 2025, with the first two episodes followed by new episodes every Friday through July 11 on Apple TV+.

Starring Alexander Skarsgård in the titular leading role, "Murderbot" is described as an action-packed sci-fi series based on Wells' award-winning novels about a self-hacking security android who is appalled by human emotion but lured to its weak "clients." Murderbot must suppress its free will and perform a perilous mission when all it truly wants is to be left alone to watch future soap operas and find out its place in space.

The cast of the 10-episode series also include Noma Dumezweni as Mensah, David Dastmalchian as Gurathin, Sabrina Wu as Pin-Lee, Tattiawna Jones as Arada, Akshay Khanna as Ratthi, and Tamara Podemski as Bharadwaj. The series comes from Chris and Paul Weitz, who are writing, directing, and producing it, while also acting as showrunners.

Below are the first-look images revealed for Murderbot by Apple TV+:

Alexander Skarsgård is Murderbot.#Murderbot — Streaming May 16 on Apple TV+ pic.twitter.com/3QY00yKv7W

— Apple TV (@AppleTV) February 20, 2025

Skarsgård will star and executive produce with the Weitz brothers. The project originates from Paramount Television Studios. The Weitz brothers will write, direct, and produce under the Depth of Field label. In addition, Andrew Miano serves as executive producer for Depth of Field. For Phantom Four, David S. Goyer and Keith Levine serve as executive producers. Wells will work as a consultant producer.

The project represents Apple TV+'s second collaboration with storyteller David S. Goyer, who also serves as showrunner and executive producer on the global hit Apple Original epic "Foundation," which completed its second season last year and currently filming its third season. Apple TV+ also features a growing collection of critically acclaimed, popular sci-fi titles such as "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters," "Silo," "Dark Matter," "For All Mankind," "Invasion," among others.

The Murderbot Diaries is set in an advanced space-faring culture where travel between star systems is normal, employing "wormhole technology" that was initially unstable but has improved to the point that "lost" colonies are being discovered. People live on planets, some of which have been terraformed, or in space habitats that provide complete life support and artificial gravity. Most individuals who can afford it have equipment that allows them to access omnipresent data streams containing a variety of information, including entertainment. This technology can be worn or implanted into the body. Artificial intelligence, both sentient and semi-sentient, performs duties such as starship operations, mining, habitat control, security, and corporate warfare. The last two are conducted by "SecUnits" and "CombatUnits", both of which are part machine, part organic.