British-Nigerian actor and filmmaker, Chiwetel Ejiofor has been cast in the lead role for Paramount+’s upcoming adaptation of The Man Who Fell to Earth.
The series is based on Walter Tevis‘ 1963 novel; which was adapted for the 1976 Nicolas Roeg‘s film that starred David Bowie.
The Man Who Fell to Earth follows an alien (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. He’s everything we could imagine and a million things we can’t. We couldn’t be more thrilled.” Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet, co-showrunners and executive producers said.
Kurtzman and Lumet will write, executive produce, and serve as co-showrunners, with Kurtzman also set to direct. Rola Bauer, Tim Halkin, Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly, John Hlavin, and Heather Kadin; will also serve as executive producers with Aaron Baiers serving as co-executive producer.
Ejiofor made his film debut in the 1996 film Dealy Voyage. He was nominated for both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for his starring role in the film 12 Years a Slave. He was most recently seen in the HBO Max feature Locked Down; and in the Netflix original film The Old Guard.
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He has played incredible roles such as “Lola” in Kinky Boots, “Adrian Helmsley” in 2012 “Solomon Northup” in Twelve years a slave; and “Trywell Kamkwamba” in the 2019 movie, The boy who harnessed the wind. He has also worked in animated movies including Scar and in the 2019 remake of Lion King.
