“Abysses” is a series broadcast on Mondays at 9:10 p.m. on France 2 on an underwater threat created due to climate change and pollution. But is it realistic?
What if nature decided to take revenge on man for all the devastation committed? It is the starting point ofAbyss, a new disaster and ecological series to discover on France 2 this Monday from 9:10 p.m. This is the adaptation of the ultra-documented bestseller The Swarm by Frank Schätzing, released in 2004, which tells how a team of scientists from all over the world try to save the world when a mysterious force operating from the depths of the sea uses the creatures of the oceans to destroy humanity following the climate change and pollution.
If the scenario of Abyss is entirely fictional, it is very well documented, like the original work: the needs of the filming of this fiction, the producer of the series Frank Doelger “considered that the science described on the screen be exact, so we called on two consultants who were asked all the time: ‘What is the minimum information that must be given for viewers to understand?'”, he explains in remarks reported by Le Parisien. Nevertheless, the series distances itself from the novel, especially at the end which is more hopeful than what Frank Schätzing was saying.
Abyss is certainly fictitious, but unfortunately overtaken by reality. It’s hard not to draw a parallel with the attack on a sailboat by killer whales in the Strait of Gibraltar on May 24. Twenty such attacks were recorded in May 2023, according to the research group GTOA. However, it is difficult to know the exact reason. According to the most popular theory, the killer whales have no malicious intent and only want to play with the boats. Conversely, the review Marine Mammal Science released in June 2022 the more surprising theory that an orca, nicknamed White Gladis, traumatized by a collision with a boat, would teach younger orcas to defend themselves from other ships.
What is the plot of Abyss?
A mysterious force from the depths of the ocean, born of pollution and climate change, uses underwater creatures to destroy humanity. Scientists from all over the world are teaming up to find out the reason for these attacks before it’s too late. Abyss is the adaptation of Frank Schätzing’s bestseller.
Who are the actors in the cast of Abyss?
- Alexander Karim: Prof. Sigur Johanson
- Cecile of France : Prof. Cécile Roche
- Leonie BeneschCharlie Wagner
- Joshua Odjick as Leon Anawak
- Takehiro Hira as Riku Sato
- Krista KonsonenTina Lund
- Rosabell Laurenti Sellers: Alicia Delaware
- Barbara Sukowa: Prof. Katherina Lehmann
- Oliver Masucci: Alban
- Klaas Heufer-UmlaufLuther Roscovitz
- Lydia WilsonSara Thompson
- Takuya Kimura: Viola Mifune
- Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Samantha Crowe
Where to watch Abyss streaming?
Abyss is a series in eight episodes which begins its broadcast on France 2 this Monday, June 5, 2023. At the rate of two episodes per week, the broadcast will end on June 26, 2023 on the second channel. The entire series is already available for streaming in preview on the france.tv platform, accessible free of charge upon registration.
Changes made with the original novel
Abyss is a series inspired by the novel The Swarm, Frank Schätzing’s bestseller released in 2004. Nevertheless, the creator of the series, Frank Doelger, decided to move away from it to make its eight episodes. Among the notable differences is the diversity of the cast operated to correspond more with the profiles of environmental experts of the 2020s, while easing the scientific explanations. The objective: that it remains credible while remaining understandable. To do this, scientific consultants helped the teams sort out the necessary from the superfluous.
Where was the Abyss series shot?
Abyss features an international community of scientists seeking to end a threat from the depths. The characters thus come from the four corners of the world, but to respect the ecological subjects carried by these episodes, there is no question of having a staggering carbon footprint: “We wanted above all to be a green production, respectful of the environment, explains Frank Doelger, executive producer, in remarks reported by Le Parisien. This is why the entire filming was done in Italy, even if the action takes place in different countries around the world.”Thanks to a combination of good special effects and good production, it works.” Some exterior shots were, however, made in Canada and Scandinavia, by a small team, for the sake of realism.