Murderbot is finally getting the adaptation it deserves. Apple TV+ has some of the best shows. Whether you’re looking for a comedy, a drama, or something in between, the streaming service has it. And now, we’re getting Murderbot, a new sci-fi drama
The new series comes from Academy Award nominees Chris and Paul Weitz, known as the Weitz Brothers. But for those who don’t know about it, here is what to know – and what you can expect.
What Is The Murderbot Premiere Date?
At the time of updating this in May 2025, Murderbot is set to premiere on May 16th, 2025, as per Apple’s press site. New episodes will drop weekly. The 2025 TV premiere schedule just got so much better!
What Is Murderbot About?
If you’re not familiar with the popular sci-fi book series, you’re probably wondering what Murderbot is even about. The book series of the same name by Martha Wells, as mentioned in the announcement from Apple TV+, follows a security android who is repulsed by the emotions that humans feel, and yet can’t help but feel drawn to people, including his clients, curious as to how they work. This only begins to build his free will – something the people who program him don’t want the android to have.
He has to hide his free will amidst performing assignments, but in reality, he wants to live an everyday life as humans do while trying to see where he fits in the grand scheme of the world.
Star Alexander Skarsgård even spoke about creating the series to Empire in April 2025, stating that it’s the “most relatable" role that he has done in his career thus far despite him literally playing a robot:
Ironically, I found Murderbot more relatable than most characters I’ve ever played. There’s a social awkwardness, or just trying to figure out how to fit into a group. It’s not interested in humans, humans are idiots. It’s kind of appalled by them, and it’s been treated horribly by all its clients up until this moment. But then it ends up on this weird planet with this weird group of humans that are outside the corporate system, and they don’t believe in indentured servitude, they want to talk to Murderbot and invite Murderbot in, instead of storing it in the tool shed, like other clients have done, and that freaks Murderbot out.
This sounds like it could join the ranks of the best sci-fi TV shows, or the best dystopian TV shows. This is an exciting premise with a different take that I don’t think we get to see that often.
Check Out The Murderbot Trailer
If this idea interests you at all, then you have to check out the Murderbot trailer! It gives us our first look at Skarsgård as a robot and the story we are about to dive into. I’m ready for this sci-fi classic.
The Murderbot Cast
If you’re looking to see who the cast is, we have you covered. Here is who you can expect to see in Murderbot thanks to Apple:
- Alexander Skarsgård
- David Dastmalchian
- Noma Dumezweni
- Sabrina Wu
- Tattiawna Jones
- Akshay Khanna
- Tamara Podemski
Talk about a stacked cast. It just makes me more excited.
About The Book Series
As mentioned above, the new series is based on the book series of the same name, written by Martha Wells, known as The Murderbot Diaries. The series has been ongoing since 2017, and seven books in total have been released – all within the last six years.
Her books have gained critical acclaim and appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List. The series also won two Nebula Awards and won the 2021 Hugo Award for best series. It’s the perfect choice for an upcoming book-to-screen adaptation.
Chris and Paul Weitz Are The Creators, Directors And Writers Of Murderbot
As written above, theWeitz Brothers (or Chris and Paul Weitz) are the creators, directors, and writers of the upcoming Murderbot series.
If these names sound familiar, these two have worked on several films. The brothers co-directed the iconic American comedy film American Pie, which gave us the incredible American Pie cast, and About A Boy. Chris Weitz directed New Moon, one of the films in the Twilight film franchise, and The Golden Compass.
The two siblings also co-directed Down to Earth, a fantasy comedy movie starring Chris Rock. Talk about an impressive resume. Considering these two have been on their game in the past with some of these films, I can’t wait to see them bring this sci-fi TV show to life.
The Series Will Be Ten Episodes
As confirmed by Apple, we know that Murderbot is only going to have ten episodes. This isn’t surprising, as most Apple TV+ shows tend to have fewer episodes.
Truthfully, many shows nowadays have a shorter number of episodes, which usually means each one is longer than those of a typical network show. And, if that means we can still get a great story, I’m down for however many episodes this show has.
What are you the most excited for when it comes to Murderbot? It’s so close to premiering! I think it’s time to read all those books, don’t you think?
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