Metropolis TV Series Has Been Scrapped

Universal Cable Productions is not moving forward with its Metropolis television series for Apple TV+. Mr. Robot‘s Sam Esmail had been developing the series as its sole writer, director, and producer, based on the 1927 Fritz Lang film (which recently entered the public domain, alongside Sherlock Holmes’ final stories and Winnie the Pooh). The series, which has been working with a considerable pre-production budget, had been set to begin filming in Victoria, Australia this summer. However, Deadline reports that UCP recently notified the crew that Metropolis is being shut down permanently following a seven-week work stoppage. UCP points to costly delays related to the WGA strike and other economic uncertainties as the reason for abandoning Metropolis.

“Push costs and uncertainty related to the ongoing strike led to this difficult decision,” a UCP rep told Deadline. Apple TV+ announced the series in early 2022, and it would have been the latest in a string of big-budget sci-fi projects, including Foundation, Invasion, and Silo, which are each returning for second seasons.

What is Metropolis?

Metropolis is a silent German film released in 1927, based on Thea von Harbou’s 1925 novel of the same name. As one of the first sci-fi feature films, Metropolis is considered a seminal pioneer of the genre.

Metropolis takes place in a stratified, urban dystopia in the future. It follows Freder, son of one of the wealthy city masters, and Maria, a beloved figure among the working class, as they try to overcome the gulf between their social positions. 

Metropolis has been referenced by and influenced many other works of popular culture, including musical acts ranging from Motörhead to Janelle Monae. The iconic Machine Man from the film inspired George Lucas’ design of C-3P0 in Star Wars.

The film was adapted into a musical in 1989. Legendary manga artist Osamu Tezuka, creator of Astro Boy, created a Metropolis manga that he claims was based on seeing only a single image from the film. The manga became an anime film in 2001. The film incorporated more elements directly from the original movie.

What next for Sam Esmail?

Metropolis‘ cancellation will likely be a blow to Esmail, who seemed to see it as a passion project given the depth of his involvement. However, Esmail has other projects in development to occupy his time once the strike ends, including an unannounced project reuniting him with Mr. Robot star Rami Malek.

Perhaps his highest-profile project is another sci-fi series, a reboot of Battlestar Galactica. He’s developing the series for NBC Universal, though the exit of writer/producer Michael Lesslie in 2021 has left the reboot’s future unclear.