The Man Who Fell to Earth is an American science fiction television series created by Jenny Lumet and Alex Kurtzman, based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Walter Tevis and previously made into a film in 1976 starring David Bowie. The series stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as an alien who arrives on planet Earth and Bill Nighy reprising the role originally played by Bowie in the 1976 film.
The future of the planet is in the hands of an alien who arrives on Earth at a pivotal moment in history.
A television adaptation of Walter Tevis’s novel The Man Who Fell to Earth, which was previously made into a film in 1976 starring David Bowie, moved from Hulu to CBS All Access in August 2019. It had been in development at Hulu for over a year, and was moved as a result of the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney, as disagreements over co-production could not be resolved. It was created by Jenny Lumet and Alex Kurtzman.
In February 2021, Chiwetel Ejiofor was cast to star in the series, playing the role of the alien/Faraday. The next month, the series would be moved to Showtime, with Naomie Harris, Jimmi Simpson and Clarke Peters added to the cast. Rob Delaney, Sonya Cassidy, Joana Ribeiro, and Annelle Olayele would join in April. In August, Kate Mulgrew joined in a recurring role. In January 2022, Bill Nighy was cast to play Thomas Jerome Newton, the role David Bowie played in the film.
So basically, this series almost didn’t materialize — several times.
The Man Who Fell to Earth
This apparently was a show that almost didn’t happen. It has gone through several production companies, cast lineups, and even studios and streaming platforms before it finally landed on Showtime, Hulu, CBS and AMC+. There are only two episodes out, with more coming.