Bill Nighy Joins ‘Man Who Fell to Earth’ Series at Showtime in David Bowie Role
variety.comJoe Otterson TV ReporterBill Nighy has signed on to star in the upcoming Showtime series version of “The Man Who Fell to Earth,” Variety has learned.Nighy joins previously announced cast members Chiwetel Ejiofor, Naomie Harris, Jimmi Simpson, Rob Delaney, Sonya Cassidy, Joana Ribeiro, Annelle Olaleye, Kate Mulgrew and Clarke Peters in the series.Based on the Walter Tevis novel of the same name and the film that starred David Bowie, the series will follow a new alien character named Faraday (Ejiofor) who arrives on Earth at a turning point in human evolution and must confront his own past to determine our future.Nighy will play Thomas Newton, the main character of the novel and the character played by Bowie in the film version.
Newton was the first alien to arrive on earth over 40 years ago. Alone and desperate, Newton summons Faraday to complete his original mission.
But Newton’s time marooned among human beings has cost him everything, possibly even his sanity. “I was honoured to be invited to play the part of Thomas Jerome Newton that glorious David Bowie made so famous,” said Nighy. “I was keen to work with Chiwetel and Naomie again.
I think the story is terrific and brilliantly expressed. I am an enthusiast for shows which extrapolate from current technology and give us plausible glimpses of a possible near future.
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