After the Outlander finale, we’re eager to see Caitríona Balfe back on our screens! We already have our eye on Sense and Sensibility, but now we’re adding Ascension, a new Apple TV show we’re going to love, to the list! If you want to know what we’re talking about, keep reading!
What is Ascension About?
According to Deadline, Apple TV has officially given the green light to the one-hour drama, which will star Balfe and see her step behind the scenes as an executive producer as well. The series comes from Apple Studios and is part of Cuarón’s ongoing relationship with Apple.
For Balfe, Ascension marks her return to a show following the conclusion of Outlander. And it sounds like it could give her a very different kind of role to sink her teeth into.
Inspired by Adam Nevill’s novel Last Days, Ascension will explore some pretty dark questions about evil, innocence, love and just how far we are willing to go to protect the people who matter most to us.
The story centers on Rose, played by Balfe, a relentless documentary filmmaker and recently divorced mother who has made a career out of uncovering other people’s truths. The problem? She hasn’t been quite as successful at figuring out her own.
That changes when Rose begins working on a documentary about a mysterious 20th-century cult known as the Church of Ascension.
At first, the cult’s teachings seem to offer Rose something she desperately needs. She finds an unexpected sense of refuge in what the Church has to say, but that feeling of safety doesn’t last for long. As Rose digs deeper, she discovers that there is something much more sinister hiding underneath the surface.
And yes, that sounds like exactly the kind of rabbit hole we should probably not follow… but absolutely will.
Who is Behind Apple TV’s New Psychological Thriller?
Ascension has a pretty impressive creative team behind it, starting with Alfonso Cuarón, the Oscar-winning filmmaker. The series will be co-showrun by Natalie Erika James and Christian White, who previously worked together on Apartment 7A and Relic. James and White are also part of the writing team alongside Alfonso Cuarón and Carlos Cuarón, with James serving as the show’s lead director.
The project comes from Apple Studios and is connected to Cuarón’s overall deal with Apple. Following the original overall agreement, the filmmaker was re-upped by the streamer with a first-look pact, making Ascension another major project to come out of that relationship.
There’s also plenty of experience behind the camera and in the producing team. Cuarón will executive produce through his Esperanto Filmoj banner alongside Gabriela Rodriguez and Richard Schwartz, as well as Carlos Cuarón.
Steve Golin, David Levine and Zack Hayden will executive produce for Anonymous Content, while James and White will also serve as executive producers.