Origin (TV series)
Origin is an American science fiction drama web television series created by Mika Watkins that premiered on November 14, 2018, on YouTube Premium. Watkins also serves as a writer for the series and executive produces alongside Andy Harries, Rob Bullock, Suzanne Mackie, Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, Jeff Pinkner, and Scott Rosenberg. On March 25, 2019, YouTube cancelled the series after one season.
| Origin | |
|---|---|
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| Genre | |
| Created by | Mika Watkins |
| Written by | Mika Watkins |
| Starring |
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| Composer | Edmund Butt |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Cinematography |
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| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 41–60 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Release | |
| Original network | YouTube Premium |
| Picture format | 4K (UHDTV) |
| Original release | November 14, 2018 |
| External links | |
| Official YouTube Channel | |
Premise
Origin follows "a group of strangers stranded on a spacecraft bound for a distant planet. The abandoned passengers must work together for survival, but quickly realize that one of them is far from who they claim to be."[1]
Cast and characters
Main
- Natalia Tena as Lana Pierce
- Tom Felton as Logan Maine
- Sen Mitsuji as Shun Kenzaki
- Nora Arnezeder as Evelyn Rey
- Fraser James as Dr. Henri Gasana
- Philipp Christopher as Baum Arndt
- Madalyn Horcher as Abigail Garcia
- Siobhán Cullen as Katie Devlin
Recurring
- Adelayo Adedayo as Agnes "Lee" Lebachi
- Wil Coban as Max Taylor
- Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Eric Carlson
- Nina Wadia as Venisha Gupta
- Maurice Carpede as Anthony Frost
- Clayton Evertson as Alan Young
- David Sakurai as Murakawa
- Hiromoto Ida as Hideto Yagami
- Aidan Whytock as Jonas Arends
- Millie Davis as Ruby Touré
- Ray Fearon as Omar Touré
- Nic Rasenti as Mike Gore
Guest
- Tara Fitzgerald as Xavia Grey ("The Road Not Taken")
- Anna Skellern as Jennifer Moore ("Bright Star")
- Belén Fabra as Captain Sanchez ("Bright Star")
- Jamie Quinn as Crosby ("Bright Star")
- Nathalie Boltt as Laura Kassman ("God's Grandeur")
- Aglaia Szyszkowitz as Margo Von Platen ("Fire and Ice")
- Francis Chouler as Police Guard ("Fire and Ice")
- Togo Igawa as Eiichi Yagami ("The Wasteland")
- Fionnula Flanagan as Mia Anderson ("Funeral Blues")
- Alana Boden as Ayko ("Remember Me")
- Daniel Arreola ("Bright Star")
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Road Not Taken" | Paul W. S. Anderson | Mika Watkins | November 14, 2018 | |
| Shun, a Japanese man, wakes up at an empty spaceship named Origin bringing him to a planet 5 light years away named Thea. Shun was invited to live there by the SIREN corporation to free himself from his unwanted job as a yakuza of syndicate Yagami-kai, initially suggested by brother Takeshi, who also registered for the trip but was killed by the Yagami-kai due to Shun being dealt by police. He saw a shadow moving, which the group saw throughout. He, along with Lana, Logan, and three other men and two women, roam around searching for anyone in the ship. Whilst Lana, Shun, and one man go to the upper floor, one man in the same floor curiously pressed a button which causes the ladder steps to be retracted, causing the one man going up to fall and die. Shun and Lana soon saw the solar sail damaged, raising more questions. The group then picked up a crew's signal, prompting four to search for him, whilst a woman was investigating the problem; she found out that there was an emergency evacuation that somehow left them. Shun and Lana went to a room where something hit the ship and found a demon-acting man, whilst the other two revived a crew named Evelyn Rey, who warned that the man inside the room is hazardous. | |||||
| 2 | "Lost On Both Sides" | Paul W. S. Anderson | Mika Watkins | November 14, 2018 | |
| 3 | "Bright Star" | Mark Brozel & Paul W. S. Anderson | Mika Watkins | November 14, 2018 | |
| 4 | "God's Grandeur" | Mark Brozel | Mika Watkins & Melissa Iqbal | November 14, 2018 | |
| 5 | "Remember Me" | Ashley Way | Mika Watkins & Joe Murtagh | November 14, 2018 | |
| 6 | "Fire and Ice" | Ashley Way | Mika Watkins | November 14, 2018 | |
| 7 | "The Wasteland" | Juan Carlos Medina | Mika Watkins & Jack Lothian | November 14, 2018 | |
| 8 | "Funeral Blues" | Juan Carlos Medina | Mika Watkins | November 14, 2018 | |
| 9 | "A Total Stranger" | Jonathan Teplitzky | Jon Harbottle | November 14, 2018 | |
| 10 | "I Am" | Jonathan Teplitzky | Mika Watkins | November 14, 2018 | |
Production
Development
On October 26, 2017, it was announced that YouTube had given the production a series order for a first season consisting of ten episodes set to premiere in 2018. The series was created by Mika Watkins who was also expected to serve as a writer and executive producer alongside Andy Harries, Rob Bullock, and Suzanne Mackie from Left Bank and Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg. Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of Midnight Radio, Left Bank Pictures, CiTVC, and Sony Pictures Television.[1][2]
On January 24, 2018, it was reported that the series would premiere sometime around the end of 2018.[3] On April 26, 2018, it was announced that Paul W. S. Anderson would direct the series' first two episodes.[4] On August 27, 2018, it was announced on the show's official Twitter account that the series would premiere on November 14, 2018.[5] On March 25, 2019, it was confirmed that YouTube had cancelled the series.[6]
Casting
On April 26, 2018, it was announced that Natalia Tena, Tom Felton, Sen Mitsuji, Nora Arnezeder, Fraser James, Philipp Christopher, Madalyn Horcher, and Siobhán Cullen had been cast as series regulars and that Adelayo Adedayo, Nina Wadia, Johannes Johannesson, Wil Coban, and Tara Fitzgerald would also appear in the series.[4]
Filming
Principal photography for the series took place in 2018 in South Africa.[4]
Release
On July 19, 2018, a teaser trailer for the series was released.[7] On October 4, 2018, the first full-length trailer was released.[8]
Reception
On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 69% approval rating with an average rating of 6.2 out of 10 based on 16 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Origin's overstuffed space drama mimics many genre classics to varying degrees of success; thankfully, its stellar cast and withholding premise are intriguing enough to encourage exploring its mysterious -- if familiar -- corridors."[9]
References
- Tartaglione, Nancy (October 25, 2017). "'Origin' Sci-Fi Series From 'The Crown' Producers Set For YouTube Red In 2018". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
- Jarvey, Natalie (October 25, 2017). "YouTube Red Orders Sci-Fi Drama From 'The Crown' Producers". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
- Clarke, Stewart (January 24, 2018). "YouTube Launches Ad-Supported Original 'The Super Slow Show'". Variety. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
- Andreeva, Nellie (April 26, 2018). "'Origin' YouTube Sci-Fi Series Sets Natalia Tena & Tom Felton As Leads, Paul W.S. Anderson As Director". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
- Origin [@OriginSeries] (August 27, 2018). "This is the beginning. Be ready to #LeaveEarth: #OriginSeries premieres Nov. 14" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 28, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2018 – via Twitter.
- Porter, Jon (March 25, 2019). "YouTube cancels two original series but denies moving away from original content". The Verge. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
- Pedersen, Erik (July 19, 2018). "'Origin': First Look At Tom Felton & Natalia Tena In YouTube Space Drama – Comic-Con". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- White, Peter (October 4, 2018). "'Origin': YouTube Launches Trailer For Tom Felton & Natalia Tena Intergalactic Space Thriller". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
- "Origin: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved December 31, 2018.