| Beacon 23 | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Created by | Zak Penn |
| Based on | Beacon 23 by Hugh Howey |
| Starring |
|
| Theme music composer | Ramin Djawadi |
| Composer | William Marriott |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producers |
|
| Production location | Toronto |
| Cinematography |
|
| Running time | 44–49 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | MGM+ |
| Release | November 12, 2023 – present |
Beacon 23 is an American science fiction psychological thriller series created by Zak Penn, based on the short story series of the same name by Hugh Howey. Starring Lena Headey and Stephan James, the show is a co-production between Spectrum and Boat Rocker Media. Although originally greenlit by Spectrum Originals and AMC Networks, the series premiered on MGM+ on November 12, 2023, in the United States.[1]
Set in the 23rd century, Beacon 23 takes place on a remote "lighthouse" in space.
Premise
Beacon 23 follows Aster (Headey) and Halan (James), two people whose fates become entangled after they find themselves trapped together at the end of the known universe. Aster mysteriously finds her way to a lonely beacon keeper, on his lighthouse in the darkest recesses of space. A tense battle of wills unfolds as Halan begins to question whether Aster is friend or foe as her ability to disguise her agenda and motives could make her a formidable opponent.[2]
Cast and characters
- Lena Headey as Aster Calyx
- Stephan James as Halan Kai Nelson
- Natasha Mumba as Harmony
- Marnie McPhail as Kanadey
- Daniel Malik as Finch
- Carolina Bartczak as Dr. Ree Avalon
- Cyrus Faird as Tech Wrecker
- Hannah Melissa Scott as Teenage Aster
- Tara Rosling as Randall
- Sydney Ozerov-Meyer as Grisha
Episodes
| No. | Title [3] | Directed by | Teleplay by [4] | Original release date [5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Corbenic" | Daniel Percival | Zak Penn and Allison Moore | November 12, 2023 |
| 2 | "Wreckers" | Daniel Percival | Zak Penn | November 12, 2023 |
| 3 | "Why Can't We Go On as Three?" | Daniel Percival | Teleplay by : Ira Steven Behr Story by : Ira Steven Behr & Richard Kahan | November 19, 2023 |
| 4 | "God In the Machine" | Erskine Forde | Matthew J. Wygodny | November 26, 2023 |
| 5 | "Rocky" | Oz Scott | Allison Moore and Dagny Atencio Looper | December 3, 2023 |
| 6 | "Beacon Twenty Three" | Oz Scott | Zak Penn & Allison Moore | December 10, 2023 |
| 7 | "End Transmission" | Greg Beeman | Richard Kahan | December 17, 2023 |
| 8 | "Adamantine" | Tessa Blake | Zak Penn & Ira Steven Behr | December 17, 2023 |
Production
Development
Initial development of the series was announced in 2018.[6] In March 2021, Lena Headey was named as the series lead.[7] In September 2021, Stephan James was named as the co-star of the series.[8] Prior to the show's initial broadcast, it was announced that the series would be picked up for a second season. Along with the announcement of the renewal for a second season, it was also reported that season one and two would film back-to-back and that Glen Mazzara and Joy Blake would take over as co-showrunners after season one because of scheduling issues for Zak Penn.[2]
Filming
Principal photography was initially scheduled to begin in Toronto in 2021. After a series of delays, filming finally began on April 19, 2022.[9] The pilot episode was directed by Daniel Percival. Production on the first season finished in November 2022, but the series stayed in production concurrent with the filming of the second season.[2] On July 2, 2023, the author of the adaptation's source material, Hugh Howey, confirmed that two seasons of the television series had been filmed and that it was in post-production.[10]
Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 60% approval rating with an average rating of 5.5/10, based on 10 critic reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Beacon 23 is full of clever world-building flourishes while light on character depth, making for an uneven saga full of invention but lacking in inspiration."[3]
References
- ↑ White, Peter (September 20, 2023). "Lena Headey's 'Beacon 23' Series Moves to MGM+". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
- 1 2 3 Andreeva, Nellie (August 3, 2022). "'Beacon 23' Gets Early Season 2 Renewal With Glen Mazzara & Joy Blake As New Showrunners On Spectrum & AMC Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
- 1 2 "Beacon 23: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ↑ "Beacon 23". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
- ↑ "Shows A-Z – Beacon 23 on MGM+". The Futon Critic. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
- ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (October 11, 2018). "'Beacon 23' TV Series Adaptation From Zak Penn Nears Green Light At Spectrum". Deadline. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
- ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (March 17, 2021). "Lena Headey To Star In 'Beacon 23' Drama Series For Spectrum Originals & AMC Networks". Deadline. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
- ↑ White, Peter (September 10, 2021). "Stephan James To Star Opposite Lena Headey In 'Beacon 23' Drama Series For Spectrum Originals & AMC Networks". Deadline. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
- ↑ "Sci-Fi Series 'Beacon 23' Starring Lena Headey Officially Begins Filming". moviesr.net.
- ↑ "SiloSeries AMA with Author and Executive Producer Hugh Howey". reddit.com. July 2, 2023.