October 5th marks the premiere date for AMC’s new science fiction anthology show Soulmates. The series’ first teaser trailer was released on September 8th, as reported by The A.V. Club. According to an official press release from AMC Studios, the six-episode series is “set fifteen years into the future, when science has made a discovery that changes the lives of everyone on the planet– a test that unequivocally tells you who your soulmate is.”
Soulmates is AMC’s first program in the anthology format, a structure shared by recent shows such as HBO’s Room 104, CBS’s Twilight Zone reboot, and Netflix’s Black Mirror. In fact, Soulmates showrunner Will Bridges has writing credits on pair of Black Mirror episodes. He co-authored “Shut Up and Dance” and the award-winning “U.S.S. Callister” alongside series creator Charlie Brooker. Additionally, Bridges co-wrote the 2015 superhero comedy film SuperBob with actor and comedian Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso, Hoff the Record), who played the titular role. Goldstein co-created Soulmates alongside Bridges; according to Variety, the show’s premise is based on For Life, a short film they collaborated on in 2013.
According to SyFy Wire, Goldstein felt inspired by the anthology format: “Following one couple over season felt like a waste when you can tell [stories about] so many relationships over so many places. That’s what excited us.” In the same interview, Will Bridges discussed the multifarious storytelling opportunities permitted by the Soulmates concept: “We wanted to be inclusive and tell all kinds of stories… It’s love stories from different points of view. And because it’s an anthology, that opens it up to being inclusive. It’s all different genres too as long as it’s about relationships.”
AMC has lined up a cast of familiar faces for Soulmates. Featured performers include Malin Åkerman (Childrens Hospital, The Comeback), Bill Skarsgård (It, Hemlock Grove), Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things, The New Mutants), Shamier Anderson (Wynonna Earp, Bruised), Sarah Snook (Black Mirror‘s “Men Against Fire,” Succession) and Georgina Campbell (Black Mirror‘s “Hang the DJ,” Murdered By My Boyfriend).
Soulmates has already been renewed for a second season ahead of its premiere date, via The Hollywood Reporter.