Foundation creator explains the one major book difference in Season 3, details explored

Foundation, the Apple TV series, is based on the novel series of the same name by Isaac Asimov. The show has just wrapped up its third season on September 12, 2025, and the episode featured Kalle on the moon along with another robot. This was surprising to the fans who have read the books, since this particular event occurs later on in the books.

The show is based on the Foundation book series, but it doesn't always follow its source material as we have seen through the show's storytelling. David S. Goyer, co-creator of Foundation, recently spoke to Slash film about the season's finale, and said that while they are sticking to the original story, writers have the freedom to alter the order of events.

Foundation's co-creator on the difference between the book and the show in Season 3

Foundation is a science fiction series created by David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman. It follows a post-apocalyptic universe ruled by the three clones of Emperor Cleon. But the empire is set for failure, and a group of exiled members must find a way to save humanity. The show stars Jared Harris as Hariton Seldon, Lee Pace as Brother Day, Lou Llobell as Gaal Dornick, Leah Harvey as Salvor Hardin, Laura Birn as Demerzel, Terrence Mann as Brother Dusk, Cassian Bilton as Brother Dawn, and Cherry Jones as Felice Quent, among others.

When a show or film is adapted from a novel or novel series, fans want the show to stay faithful to the story. While fans who have never read the books are always surprised at how each episode pans out, the same however, doesn't happen for fans who have read the books already. They know how the story goes, and mostly watch the show to see their books come to life.

Foundation is based on the novel series of the same name, but as David S. Goyer said to SlashFilm, not all events will go exactly how they went in the books. This also allows the fans of the show, who have read the books, to be surprised at times. Goyer said,

"What I was doing, kind of like the Foundation itself, is sort of adjusting the math as we go. Yes, there's a plan, but in real time, we're adjusting it here and there."

When one adapts a story into a film, there's limited time, which doesn't allow too many changes to be made in the story. However, of a story is adapted into a show, it can be told over multiple seasons. If creators stay faithful to the core story, a few changes in the order of events or a few incidents are understandable.

As Goyer continued speaking about the slight differences between the books and the show, he said,

"One of the things that's lovely about a television show as opposed to a movie, if you get more than one season, is there is an ability, to a certain extent, to adjust in real time. We have a relationship with the audience, and you're seeing what's working, what's not working, and you can also decide ... we have an expectation that we can keep certain mysteries withheld for a certain period of time, four seasons, five seasons. But we've adjusted that as we've gone along, and we've decided [...] It just felt that it was time to start turning over that card with Kalle. So that was brought forward."

This gives the writers freedom to tell the story in their way, allowing the fans to see a slightly different interpretation of the story than the books. Foundation Season 3 finale thus featured Kalle's scene before it happens in the books because the writers and creators felt it was necessary at the time. Based on what David S. Goyer said, we might see more such slight differences in future seasons as well.

Foundation has been renewed for a fourth season and the first three seasons are streaming on Apple TV.

Trending

For more articles like this, follow Soapcentral.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback