Extrapolations is the project from Hollywood writer and producer Scott Burns, built on the same sharp, speculative instincts seen in Contagion, the urgent Torture Report, the provocative Laundry, and the film noir Side Effect. Three of these collaborations with director Steven Soderbergh helped shape a distinctive voice. Soderbergh, a rare figure in modern cinema, has remained fluid and fearless for decades, navigating the tricky waters of prestige filmmaking with a knack for reinvention. He feels at home wherever he can push boundaries and experiment with form.
Burns has often collaborated with Soderbergh, serving in multiple creative roles. Extrapolations is his most comprehensive project to date, a venture where he writes, directs, and produces, sharing the creative load in the same bold way that has defined their joint work. The show marks a new peak in Burns’ personal filmography, a project that demands both creative leadership and deep personal investment.
The series envisions a fragile future world, spanning eight episodes from 2037 to 2070. It imagines a planet grappling with accelerating climate change, the looming threat of species extinction, and a fragile balance between human progress and ecological collapse. The stakes feel immense because the story unfolds from the perilous vantage point of a world in decline, a narrative that insists on the consequences of human choices.
In this setting, a number of protagonists emerge within a triangular hierarchy. Kit Harington, known for his Game of Thrones persona, appears as a complex figure: a Silicon Valley billionaire with a calculating mind and grandiose ambitions. His presence foreshadows a larger-than-life arc, one that hints at the possibility that the very systems he built could be at the root of the crisis. The portrayal evokes memories of a certain polarizing tech mogul—funny, sometimes tragic, and deeply problematic in equal measure.
Yet the focus remains on larger, more human concerns. The show privileges scientists, religious figures, and caring parents who confront the end of the world with grit and resolve. Their aim is to slow the clock, to chart a path through the fog of crisis, and to remind viewers that humanity can—in stubborn but real ways—still choose responsibility over despair.
Eight-time cast of stars helps carry this heavy material. Alongside Harington, the project features Siena Miller, Tahar Rahim, Marion Cotillard, Forest Whitaker, Tobey Maguire, Diane Lane, and Meryl Streep. Streep, taking on a new kind of challenge in this ensemble, adds weight and nuance as the story probes questions about fate, voice, and accountability against a backdrop of mounting ecological peril.
Extrapolations is saturated with inventive ideas about the future and its inhabitants. Burns communicates a clear fondness for his imagined dystopia, inviting viewers to observe a world veiled in smoke and struggling under polluted skies. The show examines how heroes respond to looming collapse, and it imagines a future where beauty is consumed by ugliness as greed and risk become entwined with habit and consequence.
What emerges is a mosaic rather than a single thread. The series presents a patchwork of stories that composes a broader critique of modern life. The ensemble casts a light on the oxygen-starved world, while the central message warns against the dangers of ignoring ecological limits. This collection of perspectives can feel fragmented at times, but it also highlights the complexity of interwoven lives facing a shared fate.
Even the pilot, meant to introduce the world and its people, sometimes feels stretched over too many ideas. Characters drift across the frame like figures in a Brueghel painting, each framed with careful attention but not always integrated into a single, cohesive arc. The overall plot sometimes staggers under the weight of its own ambition and the challenge of maintaining momentum through a sprawling narrative.
It is worth noting that Burns has repeatedly pursued ambitious social questions through his work, with Contagion standing out as a landmark that seemed to anticipate a real-world crisis. The strength of such ensemble projects often rests on the balance of cast and the coherence of the larger design, a balance that the production team continually tests and refines. In the end, the project signals a serious attempt to spark conversation about responsibility and systemic risk in a warming world.
Whether the series ultimately achieves its aims remains a topic of discussion. Some observers view Extrapolations as a daring manifesto on planetary stewardship that may push audiences to confront uncomfortable truths. Others worry that the sheer scale and density of ideas could overwhelm viewers and dilute the narrative force. The tension between rhetorical purpose and storytelling drive becomes a central question as the episodes unfold.
Compared with other recent works, the show emphasizes a sober, measured pace that can feel austere. It leans into the genuine seriousness of its premise, sometimes at the expense of dramatic propulsion. Yet its willingness to entertain provocative questions about what comes after civilization endures as its core appeal, inviting viewers to consider how human choices will shape the Earth’s future. As with any ambitious experiment, Extrapolations asks more questions than it can answer, leaving audiences to weigh the consequences for themselves, long after the screen goes dark. Citation: industry reviews indicate the ensemble approach and ecological themes are central to the conversation around the series.