Courtesy of Apple TV+Based on the popular Blake Crouch novel of the same name, Dark Matter (available Wednesdays beginning May 8 on Apple TV+) follows a physicist named Jason (Joel Edgerton) who gets kidnapped into an alternate version of his life in a reality where he has created a portal to the multiverse. An exploration of the road not taken, the series questions whether identity is as malleable as the choices we make and experiences we live through, something Jason must wrestle with as he does everything he can to get back to his real life and family in Chicago. The city plays an important part in the show, as various versions of it arise in the multiverse Jason stumbles into, and residents are likely to be pleased at its portrayal.
“It’s a very challenging shoot in Chicago, but the end result really exceeded what I thought we were going to be able to pull off and it comes down ultimately to the performances in my opinion,” says Crouch, who also executive produces, of the series adaptation. “There aren’t many stories that really hinge on a place, but the ones that do deserve to be shot where they’re set. It had such an authenticity and richness, and it was a wonderful experience being there.”
Viewers will certainly get to see all sorts of versions of Chicago throughout the various parallel universes, as well as many Joel Edgertons and many versions of Jennifer Connelly, who plays his wife. It gets pretty trippy. It may likewise make you wonder if you’re also living in a multiverse. “I think it’s highly possible that we do,” Crouch says about this question, “but I don’t honestly know.”
If you’re wondering how much research goes into a show like this, the answer is a lot.
“There was a ton of research, a lot of reading and watching lectures and talking to really smart people,” Crouch said. “And then I found this guy who is a head of the astrophysics department at USC, and I sent the book to him and he gave me incredible notes. Once we started making this show, I brought him on as a consultant. He was just really instrumental in terms of keeping the science authentic because it was just really imperative to have someone who really knew their stuff backstopping us and making sure we weren’t leading people astray on our scientific terminology.”
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