Veteran episodic director Tim Southam (One Piece) has joined Season 3 of Foundation, the Apple TV+ series from Skydance TV. He will be taking over directing duties from series writer/executive producer David S. Goyer.
As Deadline reported, this is one of changes implemented by the series as part of efforts to bring the budget levels down, which led to a delay in the Season 3 restart of production. (Foundation had filmed around half of the season last spring before pausing due to the strike, with scenes done out of sequence.)
Southam will complete Episodes 301-303, which Goyer had started. Approximately 80% of 301 is in the can; the other two episodes are approximately 50% half finished.
Filming is slated to begin March 6 in the Czech Republic capital Prague and four Polish cities, the capital Warsaw as well as Kraków, Lublin and Katowice.
Goyer will continue to write and executive produce from Los Angeles.
As Deadline previously reported, re-start of production on Season 3, originally scheduled for February, was postponed, with issues related to budgeting and physical production prompting the delay. Cast and crew who had already convened for the shoot, were told to return home while the problems were addressed.
The changes also have included the departure of Laurie Borg, who served as line producer/co-executive producer on Season 2 and the already completed portion of Season 3. Doug Moreno, who had been credited as production controller on Season 3, stepped into the line producer role.
Additionally, Foundation executive producer Bill Bost will be moving to Prague for the duration of principal photography. Bost oversaw the launch of Foundation as President of Skydance Television and before that the series’ development as SVP of Television. He remained an executive producer on the show after stepping down from his TV President post in November 2022, segueing to a producing deal with the indie studio.
Based on Isaac Asimov’s trilogy, the series chronicles the saga of The Foundation, a band of exiles who discover that the only way to save the Galactic Empire from destruction is to defy it. It follows the stories of four crucial individuals transcending space and time as they overcome deadly crises, shifting loyalties and complicated relationships that will ultimately determine the fate of humanity.
Jared Harris and Lee Pace lead the cast of Foundation, which also stars Lou Llobell, Leah Harvey, Laura Birn, Cassian Bilton, Terrence Mann, Isabella Laughland, Kulvinder Ghir, Ella-Rae Smith, Holt McCallany, Rachel House, Nimrat Kaur, Ben Daniels and Dimitri Leonidas.
Foundation is produced for Apple by Skydance Television. Goyer, Alex Graves, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Bost, and Robin Asimov serve as executive producers.
Canadian director Southam has worked on a number of high-profile genre series, including Netflix’s One Piece, Lost In Space and Locke & Key and Starz’s American Gods. He recently helmed two episodes of AMC’s The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon and previously served as President of the Directors Guild of Canada.