Every Sci-Fi Movie Based On Books By Isaac Asimov, Ranked

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Isaac Asimov, a renowned science fiction author who wrote between 1939 and 1992, has had eight of his stories adapted into movies. Over five decades, he not only wrote nearly 400 short stories and hundreds of books – he also edited over 500! He’s particularly famous for “hard” science fiction, which focuses on realistic technologies, robots, distant galaxies, and future political systems. Asimov was skilled at taking complex scientific ideas and exploring them in a way that felt grounded and believable, often with a historical perspective.

Because Isaac Asimov wrote so much, filmmakers have had plenty of stories to choose from when making movies and TV shows. While Apple TV+’s Foundation is probably his most well-known adaptation – based on his award-winning book series of the same name – there have been eight other films and TV movies based on his work. Though not all were hits, some have become classic science fiction films.

8) Nightfall (2000)

As a huge sci-fi fan, I was really excited to check out the 2000 movie adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s classic short story, “Nightfall.” Sadly, it was a major disappointment. Knowing it was a Roger Corman production – the guy behind films like Battle Beyond the Stars and The Fantastic Four – maybe I should have expected a low-budget affair, but it was still pretty rough. The story, like Asimov’s original, centers around a planet constantly lit by multiple suns and the panic that ensues when they face their first night. Unfortunately, the acting from the cast, including Jennifer Burns, Winsome Brown, and Joseph Hodge, just wasn’t up to par, and it really dragged the whole adaptation down. It’s a shame, because the premise is brilliant!

7) Robots (1988)

Released in 1988, Robots is an interactive movie directed by Doug Smith and Kim Takal that lets viewers explore the universe of Isaac Asimov’s “Robot” series – a collection of 37 short stories and six novels written between 1940 and 1995. However, this adaptation is quite different from the Robot movies most people are familiar with, resembling more of a series of video game cutscenes. While it’s an interesting piece and arguably better than the 2000 adaptation Nightfall, it doesn’t stay very true to Asimov’s original stories – later adaptations have done a better job of capturing the themes and ideas from his work.

6) Formula of Death (2012)

Released in 2012 and directed by Behdad Avand Amini, the TV movie Formula of Death adapts Asimov’s 1958 novel The Death Dealers. The story centers on a university professor, Louis Brade, who investigates the suspicious death of one of his students during a research experiment. While Amini updated the setting and characters, the core plot remains true to the original novel. Unfortunately, the film suffers from low production quality and uninspired acting, making it a difficult watch.

5) Nightfall (1988)

Gwyneth Gibby’s 2000 film, Nightfall, wasn’t the first attempt to adapt Isaac Asimov’s famous science fiction story. In 1988, Paul Mayersberg directed a version of “Nightfall” also produced by the Corman family – this time by Julie Corman, Roger’s wife at the time. While the 1988 film had some of the same weaknesses as the 2000 version, it offered a more thoughtful interpretation of Asimov’s themes. Julie Corman has said she wished she’d had a larger budget for the project, but another filmmaker might revisit it in the future.

4) Eagle Eye (2008)

The 2008 film Eagle Eye, starring Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan, was directed by D.J. Caruso. The story originated with an idea from Steven Spielberg, who drew inspiration from Isaac Asimov’s 1958 short story, “All the Troubles of the World.” Though not a direct adaptation, Eagle Eye incorporates themes from Asimov’s story about a powerful, all-knowing computer system – reimagined in the film as ARIIA. Despite being somewhat disappointing to some, Eagle Eye successfully introduced Asimov’s ideas and atmosphere to a wider audience in the 2000s.

3) The End of Eternity (1987)

Adaptations of Isaac Asimov’s work really hit their stride with The End of Eternity. Directed by Andrei Yermash, this film captures the core ideas of Asimov’s 1955 novel – time travel, the tricky nature of cause and effect, paradoxes, and the dangers of powerful institutions. The story centers on Andrew Harlan, played by Oleg Vavilov, a technician who works for the organization Eternity and attempts to dismantle it from within. While the adaptation is complex and shows its age, it powerfully conveys themes of authoritarianism and the idea that our fates are predetermined. Overall, The End of Eternity is a remarkably faithful and impressive adaptation of Asimov’s story.

2) Bicentennial Man (1999)

Released in 1999, Bicentennial Man is a well-known film adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s 1992 novel, The Positronic Man, which is part of his popular “Robot” series. Directed by Chris Columbus and starring Sam Neill and Robin Williams, the movie tells the story of Andrew Martin, an android who gradually develops human traits like creativity and a sense of humor. While it wasn’t a huge hit with critics or at the box office, Bicentennial Man is considered one of the most faithful and moving cinematic interpretations of Asimov’s original ideas.

1) I, Robot (2004)

Inspired by Isaac Asimov’s “Robot” stories and built around his famous Three Laws of Robotics, the 2004 film I, Robot is the most popular and enduring adaptation of his work. While not based on a single story, the film combines elements from the entire series. It follows Chicago police detective Del Spooner (Will Smith) as he investigates what seems to be the suicide of Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell), the founder of US Robotics. The story unfolds in a world where robots, designed to serve humanity, are programmed to be unable to harm people and must follow human commands, while also being able to protect themselves.

The movie I, Robot earned an Academy Award nomination for its visual effects, and those effects are still impressive over two decades later. While the film takes liberties with Isaac Asimov’s original stories and leans into a typical Hollywood style, it successfully introduced his ideas to a wider audience through an engaging crime thriller. Considering Asimov’s status as a legendary science fiction author, it’s surprising we haven’t seen more well-made adaptations of his work, but hopefully, there will be more in the future.

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2025-10-23 20:14