Apple TV+ Drops a Trailer for the Upcoming Sci-Fi Series Murderbot

Apr 10

Sci-fi enthusiasts have another title to look forward to, as Apple TV+ unveils the first trailer for its upcoming series Murderbot. Starring Emmy Award winner Alexander Skarsgård, who also serves as an executive producer, the show shapes itself as a unique blend of thrilling action, dark comedy, and introspective storytelling, based on Martha Wells’ bestselling and award-winning book series The Murderbot Diaries.

Murderbot Plot Details

The trailer introduces viewers to Skarsgård’s character, a self-hacking security android known as Murderbot. Designed to protect and obey humans, this rogue construct has broken free from its programming, granting it autonomy—a secret it must keep hidden.

Despite its lethal capabilities and grim moniker, Murderbot is less interested in violence and more preoccupied with avoiding human interaction while indulging in its true passion: binge-watching futuristic soap operas. The trailer showcases this quirky duality, with Skarsgård’s deadpan delivery highlighting the bot’s disdain for human emotion and its reluctant heroism as it embarks on a dangerous mission to safeguard a team of scientists.

Cast and Official Release Date

Directed and written by Academy Award nominees Chris and Paul Weitz, known for films like About a Boy and American Pie, Murderbot brings a fresh perspective to the sci-fi genre. The Weitz brothers also produce the series under their Depth of Field banner, alongside executive producers Andrew Miano, David S. Goyer, and Keith Levine, with Wells herself serving as a consulting producer.

The ensemble cast features other notable talents such as Noma Dumezweni (The Little Mermaid), David Dastmalchian (The Suicide Squad), Sabrina Wu, Akshay Khanna, Tattiawna Jones, and Tamara Podemski. Adding a meta twist, the trailer also offers glimpses of The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon, the fictional soap opera Murderbot obsesses over, featuring cameos from John Cho, Jack McBrayer, Clark Gregg, and DeWanda Wise.

Murderbot joins Apple TV+’s growing slate of acclaimed sci-fi offerings, following hits like Severance, Foundation, and Silo—and the 10-episode series is set to premiere globally on May 16, 2025, with its first two episodes, followed by weekly releases every Friday through July 11.