Nostrovia! We finally got our 1st look at Apple TV's 'Star City,' the Soviet 'For All Mankind' spinoff

a cosmonaut in a Soviet spacecraft
A scene from Apple TV's "For All Mankind" spinoff "Star City" (Image credit: Apple TV)

It's time to see things from behind the Iron Curtain, as Apple TV just dropped the first trailer for "Star City", the "For All Mankind" spin-off that tells the story from a Soviet perspective. Our ability to see through the lens of different perspectives is a valued virtue of humanity, and we can't wait to see what Apple does with this one.

The fifth season of Apple TV’s "For All Mankind" arrives on March 27, 2026, with a fresh 10-episode outing that expands the alt-history story of a timeline where Russia put boots on the moon before America. And we've now got a new spinoff with a Soviet twist prepped on the launch pad with first images.

Lifting off for an 8-episode debut season on May 29, 2026, "Star City" is Apple TV's upcoming "For All Mankind" companion created by Ronald D. Moore, Ben Nedivi, and Matt Wolpert. To whet fans' appetite for more space race drama served up Russian-style, Apple TV has shared a collection of photos that we’ve gathered the best of below, revealing characters, tone, and set design.

a cold winter scene in Russia

An image from the upcoming Soviet-set space race drama, "Star City" (Image credit: Apple TV)

Similar to "For All Mankind," "Star City" presents a fictional version of global history that finds the USA not planting the stars and stripes in lunar soil in 1969, and instead, it was Russia. While the flagship show depicts the advancing timeline from an American point of view, "Star City" sticks us firmly behind the ominous Iron Curtain to see how things shook out over in the Soviet Union.

Here we’re offered what's sure to be a fascinating glimpse into the complex lives and loves of cosmonauts, scientists, engineers, researchers, intelligence leaders, and espionage agents working within the Soviet space program and their sacrifices made for the benefit of Earth.

a man in a suit with glasses in an auditorium

Rhys Ifans from a scene in Apple TV's "Star City" (Image credit: Apple TV)

"I didn't know a lot about the Russian space program before I started doing this project," Moore told Collider in a 2024 SDCC interview.

"I knew an awful lot about the American program, but I think most Americans don't know a lot of details about that. It was pretty ballsy stuff that they did. The spacecraft were not quite as reliable as ours were; they lost a lot of good people on them. The conditions were tough. They also had things like the KGB being around and hanging out in mission control, so there's a lot of espionage and Cold War kind of environments that you're dealing with in that particular show. So, it's a familiar tale in terms of the narrative for people who watch 'Mankind.'"

a vintage space program command center filled with people

Apple TV's "Star City" launches on May 29, 2026. (Image credit: Apple TV)

"Star City's" ensemble cast includes Rhys Ifans, Anna Maxwell Martin, Agnes O’Casey, Alice Englert, Solly McLeod, Adam Nagaitis, Ruby Ashbourne Serkis, Josef Davies, and Priya Kansara. As with "For All Mankind," this project is produced by Sony Pictures Television. Wolpert and Nedivi serve as series showrunners and executive producers with Ronald D. Moore and Maril Davis from Tall Ship Productions, and Andrew Chambliss and Steve Oster.

"Star City" arrives on May 29, 2026, with plenty of chilly oppressive USSR atmosphere for a two-episode premiere exclusively on Apple TV, followed by new single episodes each Friday through July 10.

Watch For All Mankind & Star City on Apple TV+:

Watch For All Mankind & Star City on Apple TV+:
Apple TV+: $12.99/month (7-day free trial)
Apple TV & Peacock Premium: $14.99/month

Jeff Spry
Contributing Writer

Jeff Spry is an award-winning screenwriter and veteran freelance journalist covering TV, movies, video games, books, and comics. His work has appeared at SYFY Wire, Inverse, Collider, Bleeding Cool and elsewhere. Jeff lives in beautiful Bend, Oregon amid the ponderosa pines, classic muscle cars, a crypt of collector horror comics, and two loyal English Setters.

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