Beacon 23 Explained

Creator:Zak Penn
Theme Music Composer:Ramin Djawadi
Composer:William Marriott
Country:United States
Language:English
Num Seasons:2
Num Episodes:16
Location:Toronto
Runtime:44–49 minutes
Network:MGM+

Beacon 23 is an American science fiction psychological thriller television series created by Zak Penn. It stars Lena Headey and Stephan James, and is a co-production between Spectrum and Boat Rocker Media. Although originally greenlit by Spectrum Originals and AMC Networks, it premiered on MGM+ on November 12, 2023, in the United States.[1] The second season premiered on April 7, 2024.[2]

Set in the 23rd century, the series takes place on a remote "lighthouse" in space. It is based on the short story series of the same name by Hugh Howey. In September 2024, the series was cancelled after two seasons.

Premise

Beacon 23 follows Aster and Halan, two people whose fates become entangled after they find themselves trapped together at the end of the known universe. Aster mysteriously finds her way to a lonely beacon keeper, on his lighthouse in the darkest recesses of space. A tense battle of wills unfolds as Halan begins to wonder if Aster is friend or foe as her ability to disguise her agenda and motives could make her a formidable opponent.

Cast and characters

Episodes

Season 2 (2024)

Production

Development

Initial development of the series was announced in 2018.[3] In March 2021, Lena Headey was named as the series lead,[4] and in September 2021, Stephan James was named as the co-star.[5] Prior to its initial broadcast, it was announced that the series would be picked up for a second season. It was also reported that season one and two would film back-to-back and that Glen Mazzara and Joy Blake would take over as co-showrunners after season one because of scheduling issues for Zak Penn.[6] In September 2024, MGM+ cancelled the series after two seasons.[7]

Filming

Principal photography was initially scheduled to begin in Toronto in 2021. After a series of delays, it finally began on April 19, 2022.[8] The pilot episode was directed by Daniel Percival. Production on the first season finished in November 2022, but the series stayed in production concurrent with the filming of the second season. On July 2, 2023, the author of the adaptation's source material, Hugh Howey, confirmed that two seasons had been filmed and were in post-production.[9]

Reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 55% approval rating with an average rating of 5.5/10, based on 11 critic reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Beacon 23 is full of clever world-building flourishes while light on character depth, making for an uneven saga full of invention but lacking in inspiration."[10]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Peter. White. Lena Headey's 'Beacon 23' Series Moves to MGM+. The Hollywood Reporter. September 20, 2023. September 20, 2023. December 18, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231218040749/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/lena-headeys-beacon-23-series-moves-to-mgm-1235594627/. live.
  2. Web site: Beacon 23 Gets Season 2 Premiere Date on MGM+ — Watch Trailer. Iannucci. Rebecca. TVLine. February 26, 2024. February 26, 2024. February 28, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240228110622/https://tvline.com/news/beacon-23-season-2-release-date-cast-spoilers-mgm-plus-1235100479/. live.
  3. Web site: 'Beacon 23' TV Series Adaptation From Zak Penn Nears Green Light At Spectrum. Nellie. Andreeva. October 11, 2018. Deadline. November 12, 2023. January 17, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240117134322/https://deadline.com/2018/10/zak-penn-adapting-beacon-23-hugh-howey-platform-one-media-spectrum-1202480805/. live.
  4. Web site: Lena Headey To Star In 'Beacon 23' Drama Series For Spectrum Originals & AMC Networks. Deadline. Nellie. Andreeva. March 17, 2021. August 15, 2022. August 15, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220815191713/https://deadline.com/2021/03/lena-headey-star-beacon-23-spectrum-originals-amc-networks-1234716185/. live.
  5. Web site: Stephan James To Star Opposite Lena Headey In 'Beacon 23' Drama Series For Spectrum Originals & AMC Networks. Peter. White. September 10, 2021. Deadline. November 12, 2023. October 14, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221014002230/https://deadline.com/2021/09/stephan-james-beacon-23-amc-networks-spectrum-originals-1234830158/. live.
  6. Web site: 'Beacon 23' Gets Early Season 2 Renewal With Glen Mazzara & Joy Blake As New Showrunners On Spectrum & AMC Series. Nellie. Andreeva. Deadline Hollywood. August 3, 2022. May 6, 2023. March 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230330072257/https://deadline.com/2022/08/beacon-23-early-season-2-renewal-glen-mazzara-joy-blake-new-showrunners-spectrum-amc-series-1235084591/. live.
  7. Web site: 'Beacon 23' and 'The Winter King' Not Returning on MGM+. TVLine. Andy. Swift. September 6, 2024. September 6, 2024. September 7, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240907010127/https://tvline.com/news/beacon-23-cancelled-the-winter-king-mgm-plus-1235327171/. live.
  8. Web site: Sci-Fi Series 'Beacon 23' Starring Lena Headey Officially Begins Filming. moviesr.net. August 15, 2022. March 26, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230326160206/https://moviesr.net/p-sci-fi-series-beacon-23-starring-lena-headey-officially-begins-filming. live.
  9. Web site: SiloSeries AMA with Author and Executive Producer Hugh Howey. reddit.com. July 2, 2023. July 11, 2023. July 11, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230711093416/https://www.reddit.com/r/SiloSeries/comments/14otzcj/siloseries_ama_with_author_and_executive_producer/jqf5fvk/. live.
  10. beacon_23. Beacon 23. tv. 1. September 7, 2024. y.

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