Here’s Why Everyone Speaks English in Apple’s New Soviet Sci-Fi Show ‘Star City’

Apple’s latest sci-fi series ‘Star City,’ part of the ‘For All Mankind’ universe, has caught the attention of viewers with a notable choice. Despite being set in the Soviet Union during the late 1960s and early 1970s, nearly all characters communicate in English.

This decision has sparked curiosity among fans regarding the absence of Russian dialogue or accents. The show’s creators and cast addressed this in an interview with Inverse, shedding light on their reasoning.

The ‘For All Mankind’ franchise has consistently aimed to remain close to historical accuracy while crafting an alternate narrative of the space race. In previous seasons, Russian characters were portrayed by actors with Russian backgrounds, and any Russian dialogue was accompanied by subtitles.

Actors like Svetlana Efremova, who plays Irina Morozova, and Costa Ronin, who portrays Leonid Polivanov, are both fluent in Russian, contributing to the franchise’s authenticity.

However, ‘Star City’ adopts a different strategy. The new series is set entirely within the Soviet Union and follows Russian characters involved in the space program, yet it is performed entirely in English.

Showrunner Ben Nedivi revealed that the team initially considered producing the show in Russian. He stated, “It was a thought. Because I think you know how important it is for us to make things feel authentic and real.” However, as production plans evolved, this idea became increasingly challenging to implement.

Nedivi also noted that the decision was influenced by the current global landscape and the practical difficulties of creating a show in a completely different language. Ultimately, the team concluded that using English would enhance accessibility for audiences while maintaining a believable setting.

The creators consulted filmmaker Craig Mazin, known for ‘Chernobyl,’ who advocated for keeping the dialogue in English. He advised them, “This is the only way to do it. Do it this way. Trust me.”

Following Mazin’s guidance and their own insights, the focus shifted to storytelling and emotional authenticity rather than strict language fidelity. They believe that audiences quickly adapt and overlook the language difference after a brief period.

Another factor in this decision was the potential impact of accents. Actor Rhys Ifans, who plays the Chief Designer, explained that heavy Russian accents could be distracting. He remarked, “As beautiful as the Russian accents are, when someone who isn’t Russian is doing the Russian accent, it works well for 10 minutes. And then you think, oh, come on, please.”

Instead of enforcing a single accent style, the actors were encouraged to develop unique voices for their characters. Ifans also drew inspiration from historical figures in Soviet space history to shape his character’s speech patterns.

Showrunner Matt Wolpert emphasized that there was no singular “correct” way of speaking across the Soviet Union. He explained that various regions had distinct speech styles, even within the same era. Therefore, the production team aimed to avoid creating a fake or overly uniform representation of Russian speech.

Wolpert stated, “It’s not like everyone sounded the same. I think that’s what we’re trying to capture here.”

The creators aim for emotional and narrative clarity rather than perfect realism. They believe that once viewers become engaged in the story, the language choice becomes less significant.

‘Star City’ is set to premiere on Apple TV+ with two episodes on May 29, followed by weekly releases. The show expands the ‘For All Mankind’ universe while exploring a different historical context, showcasing its unique approach to language, performance, and storytelling.

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