July 25, 2026
It took 42 years, but Neuromancer is finally moving from the pages of William Gibson to the small screen thanks to Apple TV. Following up on the teaser from earlier this month, the streaming network has just released the first trailer for Neuromancer, starring Callum Turner (Masters of the Air) in the lead role along with Peter Sarsgaard (The Batman, Shattered Glass) and Marc Menchaca (Ozark, Dutton Ranch).
The one-minute trailer doesn’t do much to explain the plot of the book adaptation to newbies (think hackers working for and against AI, partially set in virtual reality). Instead, it’s more of a flash-cut assemblage of scenes to show us what the world of Neuromancer looks like. And while many Gibson fans have longed for this moment, based on the scenes in the trailer, this looks like a pretty low-budget affair, which is disappointing.
The series was partially shot on location in Japan, and in the trailer you can see the locations doing the heavy lifting to try to set the cyberpunk tone. I lived in Japan for years, and I’m very familiar with its largest cities. After a few viewings, it’s clear that the scenes in Neuromancer are partially VFX-enhanced versions of a near-future Japan. That’s fine, but I’m not sure that’s enough to make up for what appears (at least based on this brief look) to be an aesthetically minimalist approach.
What’s also interesting about this release is that it’s coming around the same time as Amazon Prime Video’s Blade Runner 2099series. So we’re getting two historically important cyberpunk series with massive fanbases, at the same time, from rival streaming services, just as real-life AI is threatening to become a danger to humanity. Despite what looks like a shoestring budget outing, there’s still hope due to the involvement of creators Graham Roland (Fringe, Lost) and J.D. Dillard (The Outsider, The Twilight Zone). And let’s not forget that Apple TV gave us Foundation, so maybe they won’t drop the ball here.
Neuromancer will hit Apple TV on January 22, 2027.
Cover via YouTube/Apple TV
