Chiwetel Ejiofor To Star In ‘The Man Who Fell To Earth’ Series At Paramount+

Deadline is reporting that Chiwetel Ejiofor has been tapped as the lead of Paramount+’s series The Man Who Fell to Earth, which is based on the Walter Tevis novel and Nicolas Roeg’s cult classic 1976 film that starred David Bowie,

Co-written and executive produced by Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet, The Man Who Fell To Earth will follow a new alien character, played by Ejiofor, who arrives on Earth at a turning point in human evolution and must confront his own past to determine our future.

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

Kurtzman and Lumet serve as co-showrunners alongside executive producer John Hlavin, with Kurtzman set to direct. Rola Bauer, Tim Halkin, Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly and Heather Kadin will also serve as executive producers, and Aaron Baiers will co-executive produce. The series will be co-produced by CBS Studios and Tandem Productions, a StudioCanal Company, in association with Kurtzman’s Secret Hideout and Timberman/Beverly. StudioCanal owns the rights for both the Walter Tevis’ book as well as the 1976 film.

Ejiofor received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations, along with the BAFTA Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Solomon Northup in 12 Years A Slave. He wrote, directed and was featured in the 2019 Netflix film The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind and is also known for his performances in films including Dirty Pretty Things, Kinky Boots, The Martian, Doctor Strange, American Gangster, Children of Men and Love Actually.

The Man Who Fell To Earth will debut on Paramount+, ViacomCBS’ upcoming rebranded global streaming platform that will succeed CBS All Access March 4 in the US, Canada and Latin America, with a rollout in Australia and the Nordics to follow.