Kate Mulgrew, the Emmy-nominated star of Orange Is the New Black and Star Trek Voyager, is joining The Man Who Fell to Earth reboot. According to Deadline, Mulgrew will have a key recurring role opposite Chiwetel Ejiofor and Naomie Harris in the Showtime series. Mulgrew plays Drew Finch, described as “an operative who stands at the very top of the dangerous slopes of the CIA and a collector of secrets. Emotionally fearless, a master of finding and exploiting the weak link, Finch has to battle to keep her own past in the dark while playing for the biggest stakes of her life.”
The Man Who Fell to Earth adapts the 1963 novel by Walter Tevis. The story follows an alien who arrives on Earth at a turning point in human evolution. The alien must confront his past to determine humanity’s future. The book became a film in 1976, directed by Nicolas Roeg and starring David Bowie.
Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet are writing and executive producing the series, first set for CBS All Access (now Paramount+) before moving to Showtime. Kurtzman and Lumet are showrunners alongside executive producer John Hlavin. Kurtzman is also directing.
“Walter Tevis’ visionary novel gave us a tech god Willy Wonka from another planet, brought to life by David Bowie’s legendary performance, that foretold Steve Jobs’ and Elon Musk’s impacts on our world,” Kurtzman and Lumet said in a statement announcing the series. “The series will imagine the next step in our evolution, seen through the eyes of an alien who must learn what it means to become human, even as he fights for the survival of his species.”
Rola Bauer, Tim Halkin, Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly, and Heather Kadin are also executive producers. Aaron Baiers is a co-executive producer. The series is co-produced by CBS Television Studios and Tandem Productions, a subsidiary of StudioCanal. StudioCanal owns the rights to The Man Who Fell to Earth novel and the film adaptation.
Mulgrew is also working with Kurtzman on her return to the Star Trek universe. She’ll voice a hologram created in the likeness of her Star Trek: Voyager character, Capt. Kathryn Janeway, in the upcoming kids’ animated series Star Trek: Prodigy.
What do you think of Star Trek: Voyager‘s Kate Mulgrew joining Showtime’s The Man Who Fell to Earth reboot series? Let us know how you feel about it in the comments section. The Man Who Fell to Earth will debut on Showtime in 2022.
