The Man Who Fell to Earth, the Alex Kurtzman-Jenny Lumet series starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, will premiere exclusively on Showtime in 2022. The project was initially slated for CBS All Access, who relaunched as Paramount Plus. Production begins next month in London.
Kurtzman, Lumet and John Hlavin are showrunners and executive producers.
Walter Tevis wrote the novel of the same name. David Bowie starred in the film version, which came out in 1976. Tevis also authored The Queen’s Gambit.
The series is about an alien who arrives on Earth at a turning point in human evolution and must confront his own past to determine our future.
“We could not be more excited to bring The Man Who Fell to Earth to Showtime,” said Jana Winograde, Showtime Networks president of entertainment. “This provocative drama, beautifully written by Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet and John Hlavin, harkens to the original film but feels reborn in capturing the themes of modern culture while challenging our assumptions of human nature. Chiwetel Ejiofor is a mesmerizing actor who draws you in with every action, thought and emotion, and he will be a phenomenal force igniting this journey.”
Ejiofor played Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave. His credits also include Dancing on the Edge, Endgame, Kinky Boots and Tsunami: The Aftermath.
“Everything about this extraordinary story and its creative origins demands a bold, subversive approach to exploring what it means to be human in a world that’s never been more connected and disconnected,” said Kurtzman, Lumet and Hlavin. “David Nevins and the entire CBS Studios team have really inspired us with their passion for this legacy, and we’re thrilled to call Showtime our new home.”
Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly and Heather Kadin are also executive producing, as are Rola Bauer and Francoise Guyonnet from Studiocanal. The series is produced by CBS Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Timberman/Beverly. Studiocanal owns the rights for the book and the Bowie film.
