'Star City' brings Soviet perspective to 'For All Mankind' in May
Apple is expanding its hit sci-fi drama "For All Mankind" into a full Apple TV franchise with "Star City," a Soviet-focused spinoff premiering in late May."For All Mankind" on Apple TVThe company is turning one of its most durable science fiction dramas into a broader franchise. For All Mankind followed NASA and American astronauts, but Star City shifts the focus to the Soviet Union and reveals the parallel effort behind the Iron Curtain.The timing reflects a coordinated expansion. Season five of For All Mankind premieres March 27, 2026, with Star City arriving just two months later to keep the franchise active. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
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'Star City' brings Soviet perspective to 'For All Mankind' in May
[Image: Andrew Orr's profile picture]
Andrew Orr
Thu Feb 26 2026, 11:27 AM EST
1 minute read
"For All Mankind" on Apple TV
Apple is expanding its hit sci-fi drama "For All Mankind" into a full Apple TV franchise with "Star City," a Soviet-focused spinoff premiering in late May.
The company is turning one of its most durable science fiction dramas into a broader franchise. For All Mankind followed NASA and American astronauts, but Star City shifts the focus to the Soviet Union and reveals the parallel effort behind the Iron Curtain.
The timing reflects a coordinated expansion. Season five of For All Mankind premieres March 27, 2026, with Star City arriving just two months later to keep the franchise active.
Star City launches globally on May 29, 2026, with its first two episodes available immediately. Apple will release one episode per week through July 10, completing an eight-episode first season.
The series takes its name from the real Soviet training center outside Moscow where cosmonauts lived and prepared for missions. In the show's alternate timeline, the facility becomes the nerve center of a space program competing for technological and ideological supremacy.
[Image: Astronaut lying on their back in a dimly lit spacecraft seat, wearing a helmet and communication headset, gazing upward toward a bright light with a tense, thoughtful expression]
Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, and Ben Nedivi serve as executive producers. Image credit: Deadlline
The story follows cosmonauts, engineers, and intelligence officials navigating political pressure and technical risk. Showing the Soviet perspective expands the franchise beyond NASA and adds depth to the alternate-history setting established in For All Mankind.
Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, and Ben Nedivi serve as executive producers, continuing their leadership from the original series. Creative continuity ensures the spinoff aligns with the broader timeline while introducing new characters and conflicts.
"Star City" marks Apple TV's push to build a lasting sci-fi franchise
For All Mankind has become one of Apple TV's most durable originals, spanning multiple seasons and decades within its fictional timeline. Launching a direct spinoff allows Apple to extend that world without restarting from scratch.
[Image: Person walking a dog along a snowy path toward a large circular monument, surrounded by bare trees and gray apartment buildings in a cold, overcast urban setting]
The story follows cosmonauts, engineers, and intelligence officials. Image credit: Deadline
The strategy mirrors how streaming platforms turn successful shows into franchises with interconnected stories. Exploring the Soviet side opens new narrative ground while reinforcing the central premise that reshaped the global space race.
Expanding the franchise strengthens Apple TV's position in premium science fiction, a category that attracts loyal viewers and supports long-term engagement. If successful, Star City could establish Apple's first fully developed shared sci-fi universe built around a single alternate-history foundation.
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[Original source](https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/02/26/star-city-brings-soviet-perspective-to-for-all-mankind-in-may?utm_source=rss)