What’s next for Fallout after season 2? “We have a big, precise plan in mind”
“I’ve already experienced this with Westworld…” Jonathan Nolan reveals to us how he approaches the rest of the Prime Video series.
It’s already over for season 2 of Fallout. After eight nuclear episodes, it’s time to leave the Wasteland. But not for long. Season 3 has been ordered for months and production is already underway, even if everything is not yet locked. Aaron Moten, who plays Maximus, told us a few weeks ago:
“I don’t know yet when we’re going to film. But I’m looking forward to the future with excitement. We can’t wait. I’m ready to stay in this world for a long time. It’s rare to have this kind of job, never boring, never two days the same.”
The plan is underway, and the showrunners already know very precisely where they are going with this adaptation of the famous video game
“Of course, we know exactly what we want to do with this story,” replies screenwriter Geneva Robertson-Dworet. “We talked about it from the start with Jonathan Nolan and with Todd Howard, the game developer. We know what we want for our central characters, where they are going to end up on an emotional level, if I can say so. And we also know where we want to go… literally. On a geographical level, we would like to move the story on the map, to go to places explored by the games, or not yet explored.”
Warning spoilers! Indeed, the finale of season 2 suggests a major shift in the plot to Colorado, where Cooper Howard goes in search of his family. The Mountain State should thus hold a central place in season 3.
Other avenues are also emerging: the Brotherhood of Steel is preparing to test a new giant robot, the mysterious secret society of the Enclave should finally come out of the shadows, while “phase 2” of Vault-Tec’s Machiavellian plan would come into effect. Lots of promises, lots of mysteries, and above all a long-term vision for the producers of Fallout, thrown wildly into multiple intrigues that are still struggling to fit together. But Jonathan Nolan wants to be reassuring:
“This isn’t my first rodeo. I’ve already experienced this with Westworld. I know that you have to have a big, precise plan in mind when you’re making television, but also leave room to maneuver to make things evolve naturally. A bit like games, ultimately.”
The producer and director thus intends to take full advantage of the serial format to adapt the story over time, without remaining stuck on its initial intentions:
“A series, unlike a film, allows you to take the time to explore the small details, the nooks and crannies, to take detours. You should not deprive yourself of this. You should definitely not leave without a plan, but you should also not be obtuse and refuse to follow what presents itself: an idea, a theme or an actor who arrives and changes your vision of a character. We experienced this with Lisa Joy on Westworld. Some of the best episodes were not planned at all at the start.”
It remains to be seen when Fallout will return to Prime Video with its season 3.
