Dark Matter releases on Apple TV+ on May 8th, 2024.
In 2016 Blake Crouch published his novel Dark Matter. It was a thrilling story exploring the possibilities of varying realities and alternate universes through the multiverse. The concept of the multiverse in entertainment was nothing new; however, this was years before the multiverse boom that now engulfs Marvel, DC and even the Oscars with hits like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Everything Everywhere All At Once.
I had the chance to speak with the series’ star Jimmi Simpson and Executive Producers Blake Crouch and Matt Tolmach.
The Plot
Jason Desson (Joel Edgerton), his wife Daniela (Jennifer Connelly) and his friend Ryan (Jimmi Simpson) all have varying encounters with the multiverse in this parallel universe spanning thriller from writer Blake Crouch.
Jimmie Simpson, Blake Crouch and Matt Tolmach talk Dark Matter
The current popularity of the multiverse in pop-culture isn’t lost on Executive Producer Matt Tolmach. Afterall, he’s been the executive producer of films like Spider-Man: No Way Home which acted as the first live-action tackling of the Spider-Verse.
Deadpool and Wolverine is among the most anticipated films of the year, bringing back Hugh Jackman as the iconic X-Men member and pairing him up with everybody’s favorite Merc with a Mouth; however, Dark Matter differentiates itself by tackling the multiverse in a unique way.
“(Dark Matter) is a very grounded, emotional story. This is a story about a man and a family.” – Matt Tolmach
That relatability is what first drew Tolmach to the upcoming Apple TV+ series. “It’s a simple story, and it’s a universal story,” he explained, “I can see myself in these characters.” Tolmach’s original plan for the story was to adapt it as a film. “When I first bought the book, it was to make it into a movie, and then television happened along the way,” Matt explained. The ideas was, in his words, “huge.” It was something he wanted to see be adapted.
Crouch had no difficulty adapting his story from the page to the screen. “I felt, honestly, incredibly free writing the show,” he said. While television might seem constricting compared to the freedom allotted to writing a novel, where options are limitless, Crouch says the series allowed him to go beyond what was written in his book. “The show expands on certain storylines that don’t exist in the novel,” he told me, “I get to take everything I’ve learned and try to improve upon it.”
“Apple was very supportive throughout.” – Blake Crouch
Starring alongside Joel Edgerton (The Boys in the Boat), Jennifer Connelly (Top Gun: Maverick) and Alice Braga (The Suicide Squad) is Jimmi Simpson. Jimmi plays Ryan, Joel’s best friend. He began the interview by immediately asking me in a slow, maniacal voice, “Would you like to play a game?” He was referencing the 1983 science-fiction film WarGames featuring a villainous computer named Joshua; however, I was clueless and giddily answered, “Always!”
I dove right in by asking Jimmi if he believed the multiverse was a reality that actually existed. “The infinite worlds theory is far from ridiculous,” he said. This series’ version of the parallel universes is based on the sliding doors theory, with each choice we make in life branching off into an alternate future. Simpson reflected on what other versions of himself might exist based on his own life choices. “There’s an English teacher Jimmi,” he said, “There’s a short-order cook Jimmi.”
“To me, this multiverse tracks. Very, very much.” – Jimmi Simpson
“Blake conceived of this multiverse well before the current fad of multiverses was being expressed,” he explained, “He is an OG multi-verser.” Jimmi believes that basing the story on quantum-physical truths adds a realism to Dark Matter that’s lacking from other multiverse projects. “Blake’s talking about the things we can and cannot see.”
Dark Matter releases on Apple TV+ on May 8th, 2024.
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