Dark Matter author Blake Crouch has confirmed some major changes in the Apple TV+ drama based on his bestselling novel of the same name.
Starring Joel Edgerton as Jason Dessen, the series transports viewers through a chilling multiverse when an alternate version of Jason from another timeline hatches a plan to replace him to be with his wife Daniela (played by Jennifer Connelly).
As Jason tries to fight his way back to his own reality, he soon discovers the other Jason has been far more successful with his scientific career, and wrestles with an impossible question; if you had the chance to take another path, would you do it?
Along the way, scientist Amanda Lucas (portrayed by Queen of the South star Alice Braga) helps him make sense of his new reality.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Blake admits Amanda’s story was one aspect of his original 2016 novel he didn’t get quite right.
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Blake, who serves as executive producer and wrote several episodes of the series, said: “I embraced it.
“I thought a lot about emails and conversations I’d had with fans of the book, and one of the things that was always brought up was, ‘Boy, you did Amanda wrong in the book’.
“And I took that to heart. One of my favourite expansions was Amanda. Really digging into her story.”
Screen actress Alice, who’s also known for 2021’s The Suicide Squad, breaths much more life into the character with an incredibly rich performance. Fans will also get a chance to find out more of her backstory before the main events of Dark Matter.
“When we cast Alice Braga, who’s from Brazil, it was such a fun opportunity to embrace her, who she is…” Blake teased.
“I’m not going to spoil anything but there’s a wonderful moment in episode five where we really see what made Amanda Amanda.
“And I think where we leave her in the series is gonna make a lot of people happy.”
Fellow producer Matt Tolmach also confirmed the perspective of the other Jason will be fleshed out much further over the course of the drama’s nine episodes.
“The perspective of the novel was almost entirely that of Jason One, as we call him,” he explained.
“Expanding, obviously, into telling the story fully of Jason Two, seeing his perspective, I think just widened it. Jason One’s perspective works perfectly in the novel, but in the nine hours, being able to dig into the story from a completely different angle, and to see Joel inhabit that character…
“To begin to… sympathise is a complicated word, but it’s real. You begin to see the story differently.
“And I think that’s massively additive, that was a really fun, new way to spin the story.”
Dark Matter airs Wednesdays on Apple TV+.
