During this year’s Middle East Film and Comic Con, Netflix took the opportunity to launch the next in their vast catalogue of original series; the re-imaging of the 60’s series Lost in Space. HeyUGuys had the privilege of attending to get a glimpse into what the series and cast will be unleashing on audiences.
Related: Watch our exclusive interviews with the Lost in Space Cast
Not only did Netflix take the opportunity to screen the very first episode to some lucky fans attending the event but the cast that makes up the series main family, The Robinson’s (Toby Stephens, Molly Parker, Max Jenkins, Mina Sundwall and Taylor Russell) were in attendance to answer questions on the Lost in Space panel as well as to conduct a meet and greet session.
If that wasn’t enough, Netflix had also recreated the inside of the Jupiter 2 for fans to get a full-on immersive experience of the new sci-fi series. In order to gain access each person taking part needed to create their own personalized space certification ID. Once on board, you could explore the cockpit, watch unreleased footage from the show and more. The ID also gave access to the camp area surrounding the ship. Here you got to meet the shows mysterious robot, send a message into space using a galactic radio and even try out some space treats.
We were lucky enough to attend the panel with the cast to find about the series after a special screening of the first episode.
Black Sails actor, Toby Stephens who plays Father, John Robinson, revealed that as a child, he had never watched the series but was aware of its importance in pop culture and was, at first sceptical of the re-imaging.
“Well, obviously it’s a great honour to be part of this whole thing, I didn’t watch the series as a child but I was aware of what it was and what it is, so when they said they were rebooting it, I was slightly sceptical about it because it’s such a treasured piece of pop culture, but then I read the script and it was such a cool re-enactment. I’m really proud to be part of it“.
The series also flips the role of the female characters on its head, and given our current climate of the #MeToo movement it’s an important step. House of Cards actress Molly Parker commented on how 50 years after the original, the show has come a long way and subtly addresses the female dynamics.
“The original is so fantastic, and I do love Maureen Robinson in the original but she did spend a lot of time making sandwichs, she had a machine that folded her clothes for her; its been 50 years and we have come a long way. I think, with the re-imaging being 30 years from now, the writers not only wanted to have strong complicated female characters, but they never mention it, it’s not an issue”.
She went on to add that she loved what the writers had done in that regard “I love the aspiration that sooner, rather than later we will be in that place and we don’t have to have this conversation about it”.
For more insights from the cast on the new series watch the full video of the panel below.
Lost In Space is on Netflix from April 13th