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The year is 2024 and we are finally ready for a live-action Fallout TV show. Amazon Prime Video's adaptation of the long-running video game franchise arrives in April, with a stellar cast that includes, among others, Yellowjackets standout Ella Purnell and beloved character actor Walton Goggins. With there still being some time before you'll actually be able to watch Fallout on Prime Video, it can be hard to keep up with everything there is to know. After all, even the trailer for the show debuted in a less than conventional way--live, on-stage, at CCXP in Brazil. But between being there for the trailer debut, speaking to the cast and crew of the series, and even learning some tidbits of information from the convention floor, there is plenty about Fallout we think you need to know. So come along with us as we take a look at everything you need to know about Prime Video's Fallout TV series before it debuts–including context and insight from those who made the series.
What's it based on?
The series is based on the Fallout franchise of video games. Since Fallout 3, Bethesda has been the studio behind the series, with four mainline games (2, New Vegas, 4, 76) immersing players in a post-apocalyptic world. Like each game, the series will be set in a unique location with a new set of characters. However, it will be canon with the rest of the franchise.
What's the story?
If you haven't played a Fallout game, you're in for a treat. At least, if you find enjoyment in a post-apocalyptic world where you're constantly fighting off mutated humans, animals, bugs, and whatever else the wasteland can throw at you. The story of the Fallout games concerns an alternate version of the United States, one in which the era of American exceptionalism of the '40s and '50s never came to an end. Instead, that line of thought and a wonderfully retro futuristic outlook on design and technology continued until the world nuked itself--but not before those who could afford it bought brand-new housing in sealed underground "vaults" around the nation. The different Fallout games feature different vaults in different cities around the country. Likewise, the Fallout TV show concerns a vault that hasn't been explored yet, Vault 33 in the Los Angeles area. We learned at CCXP in Brazil that 33 is one of the premiere vaults, reserved for those that can afford a massive price tag. The primary character on the series, Lucy (Ella Purnell) is a dweller from Vault 33 who, for some reason, is making her way out into the wasteland for the first time. The Fallout series will follow her journey, as well as those of a mutated human left over from when the bombs originally dropped and a new initiate into the paramilitary group the Brotherhood of Steel. Through these three, and presumably their eventual adventures together, chances are we are going to learn a lot more about the world of Fallout.
Who made it?
The series is created by Geneva Robertson-Dworet (Captain Marvel) and Graham Wagner (Portlandia), both of whom serve as showrunners. They are joined by executive producers Jonathan Nolan, Lisa Joy, Todd Howard, James Altman, and Athena Wickham. Nolan served as director on the first three episodes of Season 1. Todd Howard is the executive producer and director of the Fallout game series.
The trailer
The first trailer for Fallout was released at the CCXP convention in Brazil back in December. You can watch it here. For a more detailed breakdown, including nods to the games and some surprising elements adapted for the show, head over here. Basically, the trailer is a mere introduction to the world of Fallout in live-action, complete with looks at each of our three main characters, as well as the world they are taking by storm.
Who's in it?
The three primary stars of Fallout are: - Ella Purnell as Lucy
- Aaron Moten as Maximus, a scribe in the Brotherhood of Steel
- Walton Goggins as The Ghoul/Cooper Howard, a mutated bounty hunter who has been alive since before the bombs fell.
Also featured in the show are: - Kyle MacLachlan
- Michael Emerson
- Leslie Uggams
- Chris Parnell
- Frances Turner
- Xelia Mendes-Jones
- Johnny Pemberton
- Mike Doyle
- Moisés Arias
- Sarita Choudhury
- Zach Cherry
- Rodrigo Luzzi
What do we know about Lucy?
At this point, we know surprisingly little about Lucy. What we do know is that she lives in Vault 33 at the beginning of the series, before venturing into the wasteland. We don't actually know why she makes the journey, but the trailer for Fallout certainly makes it seem like not everyone in her life agrees with this choice. As for her life in Vault 33, her father Hank (Kyle MacLachlan) is the overseer, meaning he is ultimately in charge of everyone living down there. According to Purnell, who plays the character, Lucy is "a perfect reflection of the vault ideal. She's got this all-American can-do spirit and she's very optimistic. She works very hard. And she has this really inherent belief that people are good, that there is goodness in the world and she reflects that." However, it remains to be seen how much of that can-do spirit will remain when she sees what the world actually looks like. "I think Lucy's journey is about can she keep the idealism intact when she leaves the vault and how much of it is going to change her," Purnell teased.
What's the deal with Vault 33?
The vault is the biggest mystery about Lucy at this point. If you've played the games, you know there is more to the vaults than meets the eye. They were also used for social experiments on their inhabitants. For instance, Fallout 3 opens on the inhabitants of Vault 101, a vault in which nobody is allowed to enter or leave. Another Fallout 3 vault, 92, was meant specifically to house musically talented individuals in an attempt to save the world's musicians. Spoilers: It didn't work. What we don't know is what's going in on Vault 33. However, the trailer does show footage of some pretty bizarre happenings, including a vault-wide revolt, and even a man with one eye, played by Chris Parnell. While much of the show will focus on Lucy's adventures in the wasteland, here's hoping we spend a bunch of time in Vault 33.
What do we know about The Ghoul/Cooper Howard?
The Ghoul is an interesting character. If you've seen the trailer, you know he's some sort of gunslinger in the wasteland. Oh and he might have been a cowboy known as Cooper Howard before the world ended. However, those in attendance at CCXP in Brazil got a bit more information on the character from the Fallout booth on the convention floor. Before the world fell, Cooper Howard was a movie star in Los Angeles. That certainly reframes footage of him on a horse in the trailer. Perhaps, he was filming a scene in his latest film when the bombs went off. While Goggins is careful not to reveal any spoilers, he did note that The Ghoul is nothing like the man he was before the bombs. At least, at first glance. "I can say that he is vastly different from The Ghoul," Goggins said. "But there's still, you know, hopefully, some Cooper Howard left."
What do we know about Maximus?
Maximus, like the other main characters on the show, remains a mystery. However, that's how the Brotherhood of Steel likes it. He's still a scribe in the group, and, according to Moten, he's looking for a lifeline to cling to in the apocalypse. "I think he really is a character that needs to cling on to something that makes him feel more powerful than he does when he is on his own," Moten revealed. "And I think we could all relate to that. We feel stronger in a group than we would as an individual."
The Brotherhood of Steel
As seen in the trailer, the Brotherhood of Steel is going to be a major factor in the series. The military group is known in the wasteland for preserving and hoarding technology, using it to make weapons and vehicles that allow them to basically police the country. Some see them as heroes, others as villains. Ultimately, the Brotherhood of Steel is baked into the very DNA of Fallout, with the group's suits of power armor serving as the virtual face of the franchise. According to executive producer and director Jonathan Nolan, "When we meet them, we don't know if [the Brotherhood of Steel is] good or bad, and that's one of the things that Aaron's character is exploring.
When will it be released?
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