I think I might just found the high-tech thriller series to fill the Mr. Robot-sized hole in my life, courtesy of Apple TV+.
Today, Apple’s streamer dropped its first teaser for Neuromancer, an upcoming 10-episode drama based on William Gibson’s seminal 1984 novel of the same name that practically defined the cyberpunk genre. The story follows an elite hacker caught in a web of digital espionage, corruption, and futuristic crime, and at the center of it all is Case — a damaged super-hacker whose skills once made him indispensable, until he crossed the wrong people.
Case teams up with Molly, a sharp-edged assassin with mirrored lenses that seal up her eye sockets, and the two are thrust into a job that threatens to unravel the secrets of a powerful corporate empire. It’s a world where high-tech collides with the underworld — and if that sounds a little familiar, I don’t blame you. There’s a definite echo here of Mr. Robot, the cult-favorite series that made Rami Malek a household name and redefined the hoodie-wearing hacker as a symbol of rebellion.
Like Elliot Alderson, Gibson’s Case isn’t just a digital outlaw. He’s damaged and disillusioned, caught between a broken system and his own fractured self.
What makes this Apple TV+ adaptation extra promising, in my opinion at least, is its creative team. Neuromancer is being brought to life by Graham Roland (Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Dark Winds) and JD Dillard (Devotion, Sleight), who will serve as showrunner and pilot director, respectively. The series is produced by Skydance Television (the studio behind Foundation), Anonymous Content, and Drake’s DreamCrew Entertainment.
Neuromancer wasn’t a game-changer when it debuted. The first book in William Gibson’s “Sprawl” trilogy, it helped shape the cyberpunk genre and left its mark on everything from The Matrix to Black Mirror. He famously introduced the word “cyberspace” in the novel, the overall impact of which was undeniable — it won the Hugo, Nebula, and Philip K. Dick Awards, a rare triple crown of distinction.
In short: This is prestige sci-fi we’re talking about, the kind of content that Apple is second to none in disseminating. With Apple TV+ already home to ambitious genre series like Severance and Foundation, Neuromancer looks poised to add another can’t-miss entry to the lineup, which is why I and many other fans like me will definitely be keeping a look out for the show’s official premiere date.
