Apple TV+ is creating a new series connected to its popular sci-fi show, For All Mankind. However, this spin-off, called Star City, will explore the alternate history of the space race through a different lens – it will be a different genre than the original, according to those involved in the production.
Ben Nedivi, the creator of both shows, told ScreenRant’s Liam Crowley that Star City will be a spy drama, while the original For All Mankind focuses more on science fiction.
The creators and producers deliberately made this change, but it felt like a smooth, logical step for the series, considering how different the space programs were.
Nedivi stated that although NASA also used intelligence gathering, their research showed the Soviet space program had a much larger degree of involvement from the KGB.
Nedivi explained that the Soviets heavily guarded their space program, taking significant steps to keep it secret. The creator described the show’s central idea as something deliberately concealed: “It’s a series hidden in the woods – there are no obvious directions or signs to find it. It was intentionally made difficult to discover.”
The space launch was deliberately held in a remote desert location to keep it hidden from public view.
Because of this, Star City truly stands on its own as a separate show from For All Mankind. According to Nedivi, this was intentional – he didn’t want to simply make a standard spin-off or side story, but rather something truly unique – a “different kind of show.”
Rhys Ifans, the show’s star, mentioned to the producers at the beginning of the project that he’d never encountered a spinoff series that explored a completely different genre than the show it came from.
I recall Rhys mentioning early in development that he hadn’t seen a spinoff successfully establish a completely different genre from its source material, and it seems like that was deliberate here. But it also naturally stemmed from the real differences between the US and Soviet space programs. We discovered that while intelligence played a role at NASA, the KGB’s involvement with the Soviet program was massive. Space exploration was a huge source of national pride for the Soviets – it was absolutely central to their power and everything they wanted to project to the world. Because of that, they were incredibly careful and secretive about everything related to it.
The series centers around Star City, a deliberately secluded location hidden deep within the woods, with no signs pointing the way. This secrecy mirrors the launch site, Bikinar, which was built in the middle of the desert not for convenience, but to remain hidden from the public.
A lot of what makes this show different from the other one stems from the contrasting systems they depict. This show focuses on an authoritarian government that insisted its cosmonauts and engineers always remember they served the state, not the other way around. That idea really shaped how we created the show, and it also allowed us to develop a spin-off that felt unique and stood on its own, rather than just being a simple continuation of the original.
The stars of Star City – Agnes O’Casey, Anna Maxwell Martin, Alice Englert, and Solly McLeod – all concurred with Nedivi’s view that the show’s new direction leans into a different genre. Anna Maxwell Martin explained that the focus on espionage and intelligence transforms the series into a suspenseful thriller, full of tension and excitement.
Despite being connected to For All Mankind, Star City views the new show as a completely independent drama.
Anna Maxwell Martin believes the show’s focus on espionage gives it a thrilling, fast-paced feel, which she finds really compelling. She praises the strong dynamic between the creators, Matt and Ben, but emphasizes that this new series is entirely separate from ‘For All Mankind.’ While she anticipates some overlap in viewership, she sees it as a completely independent story with a fresh cast of characters, essentially a standalone drama.
O’Casey described Star City as a stark contrast to their other work, noting its unique tone and visual style. He explained that while the characters have British accents, they are Russian, and the overall setting is much more brutal and visually distinct.
The actress is excited for fans to enjoy this latest installment in the series, and she hopes it will attract new viewers to the world of Star City.
Agnes O’Casey believes Matt and Ben excel at building shows with casts that feel like a seamless team. She loves how their shows, like For All Mankind and Star City, weave together multiple storylines in a way that’s really enjoyable to watch.
What really sets this apart is the tone and visual style. We’ve created a very different feel, especially considering we’re portraying Russians with British accents. The overall look and level of violence are also quite distinct, making it feel like a completely separate show. I’m hoping existing fans of ‘For All Mankind’ will appreciate how it fits into the larger story, and that new viewers will enjoy it as a standalone series as well.
According to Solly McLeod, both Star City and For All Mankind share a common thread: their stories focus on people and their experiences. However, Star City portrays this humanity within a much grimmer and more violent setting.
Solly McLeod explained that the show is powered by its characters and their human connections. While the setting is much grimmer and more violent than before, he believes the core humanity and relatable characters still connect it to previous iterations. It’s a different show, but the heart of it remains the same.
Englert was completely captivated by the space race, describing it as both thrilling and visually stunning. She felt the way it unfolded and was filmed had a uniquely retro, almost ‘steampunk’ aesthetic, which particularly resonated with the atmosphere of Star City.
Nedivi, along with Matt Wolpert and Ronald D. Moore, aimed for the new series to feel both confined and overwhelming, capturing the sense that the characters are lost in the vastness of space.
Alice Englert described the film’s depiction of space as unlike anything she’d seen before, noting the surprisingly low-tech, almost ‘steampunk’ way the sets were constructed – essentially built inside a ‘tin can.’ She found this approach incredibly exciting and beautifully shot. The filmmakers intentionally created a feeling of both claustrophobia and being overwhelmed by the vastness of space, which Englert greatly admired. She also praised the writing of Matt and Ben, highlighting their skill with characters and ensemble dynamics.
Both shows offer a fictional take on the space race between the US and the Soviet Union. For All Mankind, which premiered in 2019, explores a different decade each season. The show’s fifth and final season, ending May 29th, is set in the 2010s.
On the same day the final episode drops, Apple will launch the spin-off series Star City, which explores a comparable storyline but from the Soviet Union’s point of view. In addition to returning cast members Ifans, O’Casey, Martin, Englert, and McLeod, the new show features Adam Nagaitis, Josef Davies, Ruby Ashbourne Serkis, and Priya Kansara.
Critics are loving the new show Star City, giving it a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. This puts it in line with the highly-rated For All Mankind, which currently has a critic score of 91%.
Both Star City and the season 5 finale of For All Mankind will premiere on Apple TV this Friday, May 29th.
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2026-05-29 01:26