The Fallout television series released a stunning new trailer and even played the first 10 minutes of the pilot episode for fans at Prime Video’s SXSW event. While many existing fans of Bethesda’s long-running and immersive franchise will notice little details and easter eggs just in the trailer alone, some will be coming to the Fallout fandom for the first time. And that’s exactly what Bethesda’s Todd Howard wants with the new Fallout TV Series.
When asked about what it will be like to have the new Prime Video original series be some people’s first Fallout memory, Howard said, “That’s one of the things that we wanted. Every game we do, it’s a little bit different. It finds a new audience. We started approaching this kind of like a game where it’s set in its own thing. I think I think the show is great that for so many people—who may not be gamers or are intimidated and don’t have access—that [Fallout] will be their first experience.”
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At the SXSW Filly event, we spoke with Howard, director Jonathan Nolan, and lead actor Aaron Moten about the new Fallout TV Series. Jonathan Nolan added to Howard’s statement, “Go play the games. That feels like an awful lot of responsibility for the game… Todd and his team put together these incredible games, getting a chance to share that is a responsibility, but it’s also great.”
For Nolan, Fallout is more than just a directorial job; it’s also handling one of his favorite franchises as well. Having spoken extensively at the global press conference for the live-action series about his love of Fallout 3, he talked about what it was like to come into the director’s seat as a fan:
“It’s terrifying. I’ve had the fortune in my career to work on a couple of things that were really special to me [with Batman]. Fallout is a world that I lived in for hours and hours and hours… You get that kind of dream come true feeling when you walk onto the sets and work with such talented people. Getting to build that world that I [have] spent so much time in, it’s just extraordinary.”
For Aaron Moten though, one of our leads Maximus, Fallout on Prime Video is his first Fallout memory. He explained, “This is my first Fallout experience. If it weren’t for all being put together by these two,” he says, pointing to Howard and Nolan, “I wouldn’t be here. You guys ushered me in, you know? And now for me to usher someone else in, I’m like, ‘Oh really? Great!”
And for that time on set, Moten calls it a thrill to bring the complicated Maximus to life, “It’s just a thrill every day. The task as an actor is really to find the truth of a moment. You have to bring a little bit of yourself to something so everyone can find it relatable. I think that was a wonderful challenge. And it was the best one to have guidance from Jona Nolan, you know, every day on set—he’s a guy who’s a force! He’s moving forward, and we’re tackling something that’s incredibly badass and entertaining.”
But with all the debates happening about whether or not the new Fallout TV series will be for the fans or take them into consideration, Todd Howard has the last word. And guess what, they’re fans too.
“These guys, their attention to detail, bringing [Fallout] to life blew us away. Just them wanting to make it so authentic. We make it because we’re fans of it, too. So walking onto the set, it’s been incredible to feel like you’re stepping into the game.”
Fallout will drop all eight episodes at once on April 11, 2024.
