Utopia Falls may, upon first glance, seem like an aesthetically clinical future-society-type story, but the Hulu sci-fi series is set to showcase its hybrid genre nature as a paean to the arts, specifically the entirety of a forbidden pop culture of the past. – Let’s just call it Logan’s Run meets Fame.
The 10-episode hourlong series is set in the far future on a colony, focusing on a group of song-and-dance-inclined teens whose worldviews become upended after being exposed to an archive containing a forgotten pop culture panorama of music, literature, etc., resulting in a clash between the newly-edified and those attempting to uphold the traditions of their idyllic existence. Indeed, it’s a time-worn tale of generational clashes told through a sci-fi lens.
The series, the creation of Canadian director R.T. Thorne, is in a reliable set of sci-fi-tested hands with showrunner Joseph Mallozzi (Dark Matter, the Stargate shows).
The first trailer for Hulu’s Utopia Falls has now arrived with an explosion of the arts in a overly-sanitised future.
As Hulu’s official logline for Utopia Falls reads:
Set in the not-too-distant future, amidst the charred ruins of Earth, Utopia Falls follows a group of teens chosen to compete in the prestigious Exemplar performing arts competition in the seemingly idyllic colony of New Babyl. When they stumble upon a hidden archive of cultural relics, they are forced to question everything they have been taught, ultimately using the power of music to ignite change and expose the truth. Showcasing a variety of musical genres and dance styles (Hip Hop, Pop, Latin, House, Classical, Indigenous, among others), and featuring themes of afrofuturism, youth activism, and eco-awareness, Utopia Falls is the first ever performance based sci-fi series for culturally diverse and socially and politically minded young audiences.
The primary Utopia Falls cast consists of young up-and-comers such as:
Robyn Alomar (Riot Girls), Akiel Julien (American Gods), Robbie Graham-Kuntz (Full Out), Phillip Lewitski (Supernatural), Humberly Gonzalez (Orphan Black), Devyn Nekoda (Degrassi: The Next Generation) and Mickeey Nguyen (Make It Pop).
Additionally, the series will brandish more familiar faces such as:
Kate Drummond (Wynonna Earp), Jeff Teravainen (Dark Matter), Huse Madhavji (Saving Hope) and Dwain Murphy (The Strain). Additionally, Snoop Dogg lends his voice as the Archive.
R.T. Thorne serves as creator, executive producer, director and co-writer for Utopia Falls, joined by Joseph Mallozzi, who serves as showrunner, executive producer and co-writer, clearly handling the sci-fi side of things, bringing genre cred from work on shows like Dark Matter, Stargate Universe, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate SG-1.
Creator Thorne fielded notable directorial runs on Find Me in Paris, Backstage, along with iterations of Canadian teen staple Degrassi, and most recently helmed a 2019 episode of NBC series Blindspot; a body of work representative of a transition from music videos for hip-hop artists, including Snoop Dogg. Thorne is joined by executive producers in Andrea Gorfolova and Sonar Entertainment’s Ashley Rite, and on the musical side of things, by Grammy-winning producer Boi-1da and choreographer Tanisha Scott.
Utopia Falls premieres on Hulu on Friday, February 14. No UK date or broadcaster has been announced yet.
