CBS ALL ACCESS ORDERS "THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH" TO SERIES

Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet and John Hlavin to Serve as Co-Showrunners

Series to be Co-Produced by CBS Television Studios and TANDEM Productions

August 1, 2019 - CBS All Access, CBS' digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, today announced a new original series order for THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH, based on the Walter Tevis novel of the same name and the iconic film starring David Bowie. The announcement was made during CBS All Access' executive session at the biannual Television Critics Association presentation.

THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH will follow an alien who arrives on Earth at a turning point in human evolution and must confront his own past to determine our future.

Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet will write and executive produce and serve as co-showrunners alongside executive producer John Hlavin. Kurtzman will also direct. Rola Bauer, Tim Halkin, Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly and Heather Kadin will also serve as executive producers, and Aaron Baiers will serve as co-executive producer. The series will be co-produced by CBS Television Studios and TANDEM Productions, a STUDIOCANAL Company, in association with Secret Hideout and Timberman/Beverly. STUDIOCANAL owns the rights for both Walter Tevis' book as well as the iconic Nicolas Roeg film with David Bowie.

"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," said executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet. "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."

"We are thrilled to add another iconic genre favorite to our lineup as we expand original programming on CBS All Access," said Julie McNamara, Executive Vice President, Original Content, CBS All Access. "We know this series will capture the soul and spirit of the source material and further push narrative boundaries in the capable hands of Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet and the entire producing team."

"I've been a fan of this extraordinary film starring David Bowie for years," said David Stapf, President, CBS Television Studios. "While no one can ever hope to surpass Bowie, bringing the film to series will allow for an ongoing detailed and nuanced exploration of the concepts established in the novel."

"Owning an iconic property like this is a privilege. Alex and Jenny's voices take Tevis' provocative vision of humanity and finds today's pulse and relevance," said Rola Bauer, Executive Producer and MD of STUDIOCANAL TV.

THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH joins CBS All Access' growing slate of original series which currently include THE GOOD FIGHT, THE TWILIGHT ZONE, NO ACTIVITY, STRANGE ANGEL and TELL ME A STORY. CBS All Access' slate of original series will continue to expand with upcoming new series WHY WOMEN KILL, premiering August 15, INTERROGATION and THE STAND, with additional programming to be announced. CBS All Access is also the exclusive domestic home to STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, STAR TREK: PICARD and STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS.


Read more at Breaking News - CBS All Access Orders "The Man Who Fell to Earth" to Series | TheFutonCritic.com

Chiwetel Ejiofor is going out of this world for his next project.

The Locked Down actor will star in The Man Who Fell to Earth, a new series for Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access) based on the 1963 novel by The Queen's Gambit author Walter Tevis as well as the 1976 film starring David Bowie.

Co-showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet are writing the series, which will follow an alien who arrives on Earth at a turning point in human evolution and must grapple with his own past to determine our future. Kurtzman will also direct.

"Chiwetel Ejiofor's stage and film career are staggering in their bravery, commitment and quality," Kurtzman and Lumet said in a statement. "He's everything we could imagine and a million things we can't. We couldn't be more thrilled."

Directed by Nicolas Roeg, the 1976 film starred Bowie, in his first major screen role, as an alien stranded on Earth who falls into despair and alcoholism. The film retains a cult following, with the character becoming something of a signature role for Bowie.

Ejiofor, who received an Oscar nomination for his performance in 12 Years a Slave, will also appear in Antoine Fuqua's upcoming sci-fi film Infinite, as well as the Marvel sequel Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, reprising his role as Karl Mordo.