“It’s been 121 days aliens invaded our world…” Apple TV+’s epic alien sci-fi series, Invasion, will be back for its second season next month and we have been given our first real look at the new series with the first trailer.

Check it out here…

The action-packed second season of Invasion picks up just months later with the aliens escalating their attacks in an all-out war against the humans. The trailer gives a suspenseful sneak peek into the new season, as aliens and destruction abound, answers are relentlessly pursued and the fight for the world’s survival continues.

From Academy Award-nominated producer Simon Kinberg (The Martian), who serves as showrunner, and David Weil (Hunters), the series stars Golshifteh Farahani, Shioli Kutsuna, Shamier Anderson, India Brown, Billy Barratt, Azhy Robertson, Paddy Holland and Tara Moayedi. New series regulars joining season two include Enver Gjokaj, Nedra Marie Taylor and Naian González Norvind.

Check out our interviews for Invasion season one here, where we spoke to stars Shioli Kutsuna and Firas Nassar about why Invasion is more than just flashy aliens: “Although we have aliens and invasion and CGI and all these chaotic crazy things happening, it’s very character-focused,” said Shioli Kutsuna. “Each story is extremely personal. That’s what really stood out to me. I really loved how personal this story was. It’s a very heartfelt, personal, human drama.”

Invasion” will debut on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, August 23, 2023 with the first episode of its ten-episode second season, followed by one new episode weekly, every Wednesday through October 25, 2023. 

Find more trailers at the SciFiNow YouTube channel.

The post Invasion S2 Trailer: War begins in epic Apple TV+ sci-fi series appeared first on Sci-Fi Tips.

Created by genre stalwart Simon Kinberg (Deadpool, X-Men: The Last Stand, The Twilight Zone) and TV guru David Weil (Solos, Hunters), Invasion is set across multiple continents and follows the devastation caused by an alien invasion through different perspectives of ‘ordinary’ people around the world; from school children in England and a US sheriff, to Japanese astronauts and a young family forced from their home.

“I think it’s very well written, the way that characters keep evolving from one scene to another,” says Firas Nassar who plays the father in that young family, Ahmed ‘Manny’ Malik. “It kept me captivated to try to understand more and reveal more about the character in the story. You can clearly see that in every character in Invasion. There are a lot of deep conflicts and nuances.”

Actually, though the show is called Invasion, the emphasis isn’t really on the alien attack at all, more on the personal stories of those who are in the middle of it: “They hadn’t decided a title when we were shooting, even to the last day of shooting, so we were all curious what they were going to name it,” Kutsuna tells us, “but I was quite surprised when they came up with ‘Invasion’, because the show does seem quite different from what you’d expect or imagine from that sort of title.”

“I’d say that Invasion for me is such a great mix of very well written drama, and very well written sci-fi. It focuses so much about human beings and what’s been happening on the earth,” Nassar adds. “It’s not only the invasion; you get to reveal little by little about the character from one scene to another, new information, a new thing, a new kind of behaviour, a new nuance that you haven’t seen before. The fact that it’s unexpected, in general, that’s what’s really captivating.”

One of those unexpected elements is Nassar’s character himself, Manny Malik, a family man with more than a few secrets. When the invasion happens, Malik is faced with the immense responsibility of protecting his family, something that doesn’t come naturally for him: “He’s not a superhero, not a perfect man,” Nassar explains of his character. “He’s a mix of feelings, a mix of behaviours, he’s a human being.

“One of my biggest wishes is people sitting on their couches or just sitting on the bus or whatever and watching the series (you know, since it’s on Apple+ TV and you can see it wherever you want) is that people might see themselves in there. I don’t want to play a character that you see only on screens. I am interested in playing characters that you can see on the streets.”

Though plenty of people may not see themselves in Kutsuna’s character, Mitsuki (she’s a brilliant scientist who works for the Japanese space division, JASA), the character has to cope with very real trauma. JASA has just sent their first astronauts into space but when something terrible happens to the team when they are up there, it’s up to Kutsuna to find out just what happened to them. This mission is made all the more personal as Mitsuki has been in a secret relationship with the crew’s captain Hinata.

Playing a character coping with not only an alien invasion but also intense secret grief meant that Kutsuna had a rather interesting first day on set: “So the very first proper day of shooting for me was something like four scenes of just breaking down and then this whole crazy sex scene in the end!” she laughs. “It was the most intense experience I’ve had on day one of any project! So I was a bit nervous. Even heading to New York on the plane I was quite nervous about taking on this character because it’s just a huge emotion that you need to bring within yourself. But I did a lot of mental preparation. I used everything I could – music, experiences, old memories… I did take time to gather all those things to be able to bring that to set. I freaked out when I first saw the daily schedule, but it was nice to get that done on the first day because, although there were more scenes where it required a lot of strong emotions, I think I was quite relieved to have that done.”

Speaking of getting things done, Invasion had started filming before the Covid-19 outbreak but had to stop halfway through as the world shut down, which meant that Kutsuna had to go back to her intense character after months away from her: “We shut down for half a year,” she nods. “I was really scared to go back to shooting. Especially since my character is dealing with grief and has these really strong emotions… I’ve never done that before and I didn’t know if I would be able to still contain those sorts of feelings. To go back to a role like nothing ever happened, was quite a challenge. Working on this show really proved to me and I was able to understand how important preparation is because, although I was scared to have that half a year break, I was able to spend a lot of time creating this character, and give her a proper back story.”

After a tough shoot and a tough year and a half for everyone, Kutsuna hopes that the series will have a positive effect on audiences: “We never knew that the world was ever going to be almost parallel and would be experiencing something similar [to elements of the show],” she says. “Once we shut down it was almost like what I was experiencing with my character was happening in real life. But living through my character was really encouraging. I hope people who watch this show, that are facing a really hard time in life right now might feel a little encouraged by watching it.”

Nassar hopes for a similar hopeful message for audiences: “I wish that people might ask some questions,” he adds. “Question stuff about family, about loneliness, about love, about betrayal, about foreignness, about identity. I’m not fantasising or thinking that this is going to change their lives but I do believe that this show’s really great in the way it’s been written, and I wish that people might ask some questions about these themes.”

The first three episodes of Invasion have now dropped on Apple+ TV, with more episodes being released every Friday. So the real question is, should we watch weekly or save up the show in a big Invasion package to binge in one go? “I don’t usually wait as I just want to know what’s going to happen!” Kutsun laughs when we ask her that very question. “But I did see a few shows recently which was a weekly episode and it’s actually nice. It’s nice to be able to think about the last episode for a week, take time and be really looking forward to the next episode.”

Savour it or binge it, the first three episodes of Invasion is out now on Apple+ TV.

The post Invasion: Humanity’s greatest battle appeared first on Sci-Fi Tips.

Young Sarah Malik (played by Tara Moayedi, pictured above) is one of those ordinary people. Forced from her home when her street is attacked, Sarah, her mother (Golshifteh Farahani), father (Firas Nassar) and brother (Azhy Robertson) go on a road journey to try and find safety. Though perhaps it isn’t just the aliens they should all be afraid of…?

We spoke to Tara Moayedi about the series and filming during the Covid-19 pandemic…

What were your first thoughts on the series when you read the script for Invasion?

I noticed it would be very different from any other sci-fi show. I love how original and unique the storytelling approach was and that the series would be filmed on location around the world to show the authenticity of the characters and their storylines.

What are the overall themes of the show?

When the world is going through a traumatic change, family issues that might normally seem small can really be exacerbated.

Can you tell us about your character, Sarah Malik, and her family?

Sarah is the playful, curious six-year-old daughter of Aneesha (Golshifteh Farahani) and Ahmed (Firas Nassar). The Malik’s have to stick together and make difficult choices to survive the alien invasion.

The family relationship feels very real between you and the rest of the Malik family. Was that natural or did you all work together beforehand to build those bonds?

My screen test was with Azhy Robertson [who plays Sarah’s brother Luke]. The first time I met Golshifteh and Firas was the day before we started filming. It was at a playground for a quick 30 minute Malik family photoshoot. Golshifteh, Firas, Azhy, and I each have our own individual characteristics which made it easy to naturally bond. Gol and I would be chatting in Persian, Firas was always joking and making us laugh all the time, and I see Azhy as my real brother.

What was the most challenging aspect when filming the series?

Being away from home for almost five months and filming with COVID-19 restrictions.

What are you looking forward to most for audiences to see?

I’m looking forward to everyone seeing how Sarah’s character evolves. A particular scene that stands out is, Sarah will have an accident right in the middle of an alien trying to attack them…

What do you want audiences to take away from the show?

I want viewers to think about how the invasion magnifies the drama and relationships in regard to the characters. Also, what makes Sarah more scared of people than alien invasions.

[Main image credit: Kristine Canterbury]

Invasion Season One premieres globally on October 22, 2021 on Apple TV+.

The post Invasion: Interview with star Tara Moayedi appeared first on Sci-Fi Tips.

Hear the wise words of Sam Neill in the teaser trailer for Apple+’s new ten-episode sci-fi drama series, Invasion, from producers Simon Kinberg (X-Men films, Deadpool films, The Martian) and David Weil (Hunters).

Watch it here…

Set across multiple continents, the series follows an alien invasion through different perspectives around the world. The series stars Shamier Anderson (Awake), Golshifteh Farahani (Extraction), Sam Neill (Jurassic World: Dominion), Firas Nassar (Fauda) and Shioli Kutsuna (Deadpool 2).

Written and executive produced by Kinberg and Weil, the show is also executive produced by Jakob Verbruggen (The Alienist), who also directed multiple episodes.

Invasion will make its global debut on Apple TV+ with the first three episodes on October 22, 2021, followed by new episodes weekly, every Friday.

The post Invasion: Teaser trailer revealed for Apple+ sci-fi show appeared first on Sci-Fi Tips.