The Peripheral, a brand new sci-fi series from the minds of Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, arrives this Friday on Prime Video, and ahead of its premiere, we were able to sit down with the stars and creators to learn more about what's to come in season one.
The upcoming series is an adaptation of the William Gibson novel of the same name, and to get more insight into this vast new futuristic world, we caught up with 3x Primetime Emmy-nominated writer/producer Lisa Joy (Westworld; Burn Notice) and director Vincenzo Natali (Marvel's Luke Cage; Orphan Black) to ask for their thoughts on why this new era of virtual reality escapism is becoming increasingly interesting to explore.
The fan-favorite Chloë Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass; Tom & Jerry) headlines the exciting new sci-fi mystery series, with Gary Carr (21 Bridges; The Deuce) and Jack Reynor (Transformers: Age of Extinction; Cherry) in key supporting roles. Stay tuned into CBM for our interviews with all three stars!
The Peripheral starts streaming, exclusively on Prime Video, on October 21!
Check out the full video interview below and please remember to SUBSCRIBE to our channel!
ROHAN: This show has two very distinct settings, 2032 and 2099 - Vincenzo, what was the challenge for you, as a director, just staging these two futuristic worlds and making them wholly unique from one another?
VINCENZO: I think the challenge is trying to limit my own desires, and imagination, because the book is so rife with amazing images and things and all of them that we wanted to build and put on the screen that, you know, we had to look at the reality of actually doing them, but I think that is the key. The book presents two very fascinating futures that are both reflective of each other, and also at the same time wildly different, and, just cherry picking the parts that are most relevant and exciting for the story, that Lisa and Jonathan Nolan and Scott Smith have put together for us.
ROHAN: The show has this big mystery at its core about why the world is so under-populated in the future and while we won't get into details, what did you want to explore about this concept versus a real world issue of overpopulation?
LISA: The themes that Gibson brings up in this world, and it's kind of interesting, the questions that it raises, oh, we have this beautiful, very elegant world that does feel kind of quieter and smaller, but how did we get to that point? How, in the intervening years between timelines did we get to that elegant, sparse point? And, that's a that's a really great question that the series is trying to explore, and Flynn is trying to discover.
ROHAN: In the show, many have turned to video games and virtual reality as a form of escapism, similar to how we're seeing in our world today - what would you say makes these other realities so appealing and worth exploring? And what differentiates this escapism from what you've explored in Westworld?
LISA: I think the idea of escapism is embedded in this and it's very timely right now, because we just lived through a pandemic in which we all felt very alienated and alone, and were trapped in our homes, and we did a lot of TV watching and a lot of web surfing and social media using and I think what we're all looking for is connection and meaning, right? To find a community outside of ourselves, and for Flynn Fisher, like for many of us, that meaning can come through gaming, right? You can be anyone, travel to any world, you can leave your own life behind for a while and forget yourself, but for Flynne, that comes with some problems, right?
Like you get so invested in this online world that you can grow disconnected from the real world, and so she's made this effort and lived in this real world now and fortified her relationships with her family and her friends, and I think those relationships, those live beating human relationships are what sustains her and what gives her life meaning and joy, and what allows her to be brave and heroic because she has something worth fighting for. And especially in these times when I think people are still kind of reeling from the events of the last few years, a reminder that the best way to ground ourselves, the best way to have a meaningful life is to connect with the family and friends around us. I think that's a really really timely reminder right now.
ROHAN: This show is really well cast, especially with Chloë as Flynne - what was the casting process like, and what were you looking for when seeking out these parts, especially for Flynne?
LISA: Well, the interesting thing and about Chloë is that she is from the South and she is all those things, she's idealistic and innocent, but she can also seriously kick ass, and, when thinking about London, all I could think was, if somebody had to call me on the phone and entice me to go to the future, I'd very much like it to be Gary, but you can also speak to casting and the incredible Burton.
VINCENZO: I have to say, I learned a lot about casting working on this show with Lisa and Jonathan, because I think they're masters at it. If you look at Westworld, and how that show’s cast and you look at this one. It's not just about casting no names, it's about really finding the actor who not only embodies the role but takes it further than you would imagine, and I really feel like not a single one of our cast disappointed me in that regard. They were all amazing to work with. So, that's what I learned from this, what these guys taught me.
Plus, check out our additional The Peripheral interviews below:
Flynne Fisher (Chloë Grace Moretz), her Marine veteran brother, Burton (Jack Reynor), and their dying mother live in a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains in 2032. As their mother’s health deteriorates and the medical bills add up, Flynne and Burton make extra money playing simulations (Sims). The two siblings share Burton’s avatar, “jockeying” for high-paying customers to beat challenging game levels. When Burton is offered a chance to beta test a new Sim, it’s Flynne who ends up playing, pretending to be her brother. The Sim takes place in London and it tasks Flynne with breaking into a corporation known as the Research Institute—to steal a valuable secret.
When the assignment goes badly wrong, Flynne begins to realize the Sim is more real than she ever could have imagined. The London she’s exploring exists in the future…year 2099. And what Flynne has uncovered in the Research Institute has put her and her family in grave peril. There are people from the future who want to use Flynne for the information she’s stolen…and there are others who want Flynne dead. Flynne encounters Wilf (Gary Carr) in Future London, a man who may be the key to unlocking the mystery at hand. But first, in her present, Flynne and Burton, along with his former elite military unit, must rally to save themselves from forces intent on killing them—forces sent from the future to reclaim the vital secret Flynne stole.
The Peripheral starts streaming on October 21!