Constellation is a science fiction psychological thriller television series created by Peter Harness, based on a concept by Sean Jablonski. The first season was released on 21 February 2024, beginning with the initial three episodes. It stars Noomi Rapace, Jonathan Banks, James D'Arcy, Julian Looman, Henry David, William Catlett, and Barbara Sukowa. In May 2024, the series was canceled after one season.
An unidentified object collides with the International Space Station, leading to the death of one of the five astronauts aboard and crippling most of the onboard systems and one of the Soyuz descent modules. Three of the surviving astronauts make an emergency evacuation in the functional Soyuz module, leaving behind Swedish astronaut Johanna "Jo" Ericsson of the European Space Agency to repair the other Soyuz. When she returns to Earth with the body of her dead crewmate, she finds that parts of her life are missing or not as she remembers them.
Two paintings by the Finnish symbolist painter Hugo Simberg play a symbolic role in the cabin scenes in the series: The Wounded Angel â also the title of the seriesâ opening episode â and The Devil by the Pot.
Two more paintings also appear: one with the devil being carried and the other with the angel near the fire, showing a crossover of elements between the originals.
It was announced in April 2022 that Apple TV+ had greenlit the series, created by Peter Harness. Noomi Rapace and Jonathan Banks were announced to star with Michelle MacLaren directing. The following month, James D'Arcy joined the cast, and Oliver Hirschbiegel and Joseph Cedar were announced as additional directors of episodes. Writer Robert Shearman was a story consultant on the show.
The production received a record â¬10 million grant from the German government's German Motion Picture Fund (GMPF), and â¬1.5 million in production incentives by Business Finland.
Filming began in July 2022 and concluded in February 2023. Production took place in the German federal states of Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia. The series was partially produced at Babelsberg Studio in Potsdam. Large-scale sets were constructed there, including a realistic replica of the ISS space station, a Soyuz capsule, and various space-themed sets. The film studio served as a production service provider and infrastructure partner. Consequently, both the entrance area of Studio Babelsberg itself and the nearby Film University Babelsberg â including its atriums, corridors and offices â were used to depict the headquarters of the ESA in Cologne. The elaborate interior decorations were installed by the Art Department of Babelsberg Studio. The visible locations also include the open storage facility of the Potsdam Film Museum. Individual scenes were filmed in Teltow. The episode âÂÂValyaâ was primarily shot on the grounds of the former Beelitz Heilstätten. Additional scenes were filmed in Denmark and Morocco, as well as in the municipality of Inari in northern Finland.
In August 2023, Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reported that the series's production companies had failed to pay over â¬1 million for services the film crew had used in Finnish Lapland, including estate companies, catering and casting services, and an electrical contractor. In September 2023, Helsingin Sanomat reported that the production company Turbine Studios had contacted its creditors by email, announcing its intention to pay the unpaid expenses. As the series had its world-wide premiere on 21 February 2024, the Finnish tabloid Ilta-Sanomat confirmed that a solution for the debts had been settled the previous autumn, but contractors were not able to comment on the terms due to a non-disclosure agreement.
The series was cancelled in May 2024.
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 71% of 51 reviews are positive. The website's critics consensus reads: "Solid performances and creepy atmosphere help Constellation engage during a first season with some noticeable narrative turbulence along the way."
On Metacritic, the series holds a weighted average score of 63 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".