Alexander Skarsgård is… MURDERBOT
Skarsgård has signed as the titular cyborg in AppleTV+'s adaptation of Martha Wells' award-winning Murderbot Diaries
Aux News Alexander Skarsgård
After years of us screaming from the rooftops that it was inevitably going to happen, Apple’s getting into the Murderbot business at last. Variety reports that the studio/tech company has just picked up a TV adaptation of Martha Wells’ Muderbot Diaries series of sci-fi novels, with Alexander Skarsgård starring as the titular half-human security robot.
Anyone who’s read Wells’ series of swift-moving, emotionally resonant novels and novellas—including your humble Newswire writer, who may, in fact, have been up too damn late last night finishing System Collapse—will know that the “Murderbot” naming is actually ironic; the cyborg in question, who breaks free of its programming rather than continue to be a tool of corporate oppression, adopts the name sarcastically as a comment on humanity’s attitudes toward its kind. (It’s actually scrupulously focused on keeping the people it loves safe, with a minimum of murders—when it’s not busy bingeing TV shows and films.) It’s a catchy name, though, reflecting one of the series’ major strengths: Wells’ first-person narration as Murderbot, which is sarcastic, endearing, and capable of delivering some serious emotional weight; it’ll be interesting to see how the series adapts those portions, because a big part of the reason the books work is how totally grounded they are in the characters’ perspective, even as it gets up to all sorts of violent, futuristic space action.
Skarsgård, for his part, has had a pretty busy year: He kicked off 2023 with an eye-catching guest star role as the “villain” in the final season of Succession. (Villain in quotes because it’s kind of like calling out the biggest rat in a swarm.) He followed that up with roles in Michael Shannon’s directorial debut, Eric Larue, and a starring part in Kate Winslet biopic Lee. We’ll be honest and note that he’s not the first person who comes to mind when we envisioned seeing Murderbot on the screen—many of the actor’s more memorable roles have a certain inherent swagger to them that feels antithetical to the character’s whole vibe—but he’s also an interesting, nuanced performer, so it’ll be exciting to see what he does with it.
The Murderbot series is being developed by Paul and Chris Weitz, the sibling duo who previously made Mozart In The Jungle for Amazon.
15 Comments
I think if you look at Skarsgård’s work in something like Mute, which was a bad movie despite his good performance, you can see him playing a character who lacks swagger and instead has a quieter depth. I’m not familiar with Murderbot, but if that’s what we’re looking for, Skarsgård can do it, I think.
Hey, if the same guy can convincingly play a centuries-old vampire and a moronic self-immolating male model, I think he can handle a futuristic security robot.
let’s not forget a fantastic faux-Herzog…
It’s a good thing that you specified that he played a male model. Otherwise I might have thought he had played a female model.
I love Murderbot, but yeah, it’ll be interesting to see if it translates to TV. So much of the joy is Murderbot calculating threat assessment, exit strategies, impact velocities, how to pretend to be human, etc. while watching a soap opera to relax themself.
Why won’t these stupid humans stop trying to get themselves killed so I can please just get back to watching Sanctuary Moon???
I do feel they need to make an entire Sanctuary Moon series…and then they can make Murderbot. Commit to the story Apple.
THE INNER DIALOGUE IS WHAT MAKES MURDERBOT MURDERBOT
This is a big concern. They also need to commit to making Skarsgard as androgynous as possible.
Does Murderbot have a pre-set murder limit?
Right? As much as I love this series (and Skarsgard) they’ve set themselves a difficult task. Probably the best approach is going to be something that leans into the themes and tone but doesn’t try to replicate the inner monologue; this is filmic, not prose. The worry is that even if it’s really, really good, it won’t feel like Murderbot… which isn’t a reason not to try to adapt it, but rather an acceptance of the fact that what we love about a work in one medium isn’t likely to translate to another medium.
Voiceover is a thing
Don’t call me Mr. Murderbot, that was my father. You can call me by my first name, Murdy.
Definitely going on my “must see” list.