neXt is an upcoming Fox crime and science fiction television series by Manny Coto (24: Legacy). The series centers on the efforts of a Homeland Cybersecurity team to counter the emergence of a deadly rogue artificial intelligence with the ability to constantly improve itself, threatening to spell doom for humankind.
This highly-anticipated show was scheduled to air during spring 2020. However, due to the pandemic that forced Hollywood to halt all new TV productions, Fox rearranged their upcoming lineup and now will premiere neXT as part of Fox’s fall 2020 primary schedule. It will premiere on October 6th and air on Tuesdays at 9/8 central.
Nevertheless, the Fox Television original looks to be exciting, giving off some serious I, Robot + The Circle + Black Mirror (the Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too episode) vibes in the trailer, which you can watch below!
Who’s in charge?
Creator Manny Coto executive produces along with Glenn Ficarra (This Is Us) and John Requa.
While the production companies involved with the pilot include Zaftig Films and the Disney-owned 20th Century Fox Television.
What’s neXT about?
The show centers on Silicon Valley pioneer Paul LeBlanc. Who discovers that one of his own creations, a powerful artificial intelligence called neXT, threatens the fate of the world.
Leblanc built a fortune and legacy on the world-changing innovations he dreamed up while ignoring and alienating the people around him. Now, LeBlanc and FBI Special Agent Shea Salazar must work together to prevent a potential global catastrophe, fighting the emergent superintelligence that, in the hands of LeBlanc’s brother Ted, who kicked him out of his own company, could mean the end of the world.
Mixed in with the heart-pounding action of their team chasing after a villain that is literally everywhere they go, both Agent Salazar and LeBlanc are also fighting their own personal demons – estranged family and complicated relationships.
Who’s playing who?
Paul Leblanc, the brilliant yet paranoid protagonist of this series, will be played by Emmy Award nominee John Slattery (Mad Men, Veep). While his daughter Abby, often deprioritized and neglected due to work, will be portrayed by Elizabeth Cappuccino (Jessica Jones, Deception).
Ted Leblanc, Paul’s younger brother who now runs Paul’s company, will be played by Jason Bulter Harner (Ozark, Ray Donovan). Meanwhile, Fernanda Andrade (The First, Here and Now) will star as Special Agent Shea Salazar.
Other announced cast members include Salazar’s colleagues at the FBI cybercrime division Gina, Ben, and CM, played by Eve Harlow (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Aaron Moten (Disjointed, Mozart in the Jungle), and Michael Mosley (Seven Seconds, Ozark), respectively.
The upcoming neXT is described by Fox as a series that asks us to look closely not only at our relationship to technology but to one another. So, it will be interesting to see how LeBlanc and Salazar are able to fight a superintelligence that instead of launching missiles, will deploy machine learning and other A.I. to eliminate obstacles and fight for its own survival.
The series has a fantastic cast, a story that will examine how technology is invading our lives and a villain unlike anything we’ve ever seen. A killer combination if you ask me! So, we’re sure to expect pulse-pounding drama and murder mystery.
Stay tuned for more news and updates about neXt on Fox and don’t forget to tune in on Tuesday, October 6 at 9/8 central when this new series premieres.