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'The Man Who Fell to Earth': 5 things about Showtime sci-fi drama starring Chiwetel Ejiofor

Walter Tevis’ 1963 novel and David Bowie's 1976 flick of the same name is now a TV series with a stellar cast in Ejiofor and Naomie Harris

Showtime's 'The Man Who Fell to Earth' promises to be intriguing, and it has its reasons. For starters, Walter Tevis’ 1963 novel and David Bowie's 1976 flick of the same name have quite the cast in Chiwetel Ejiofor, Naomie Harris, and Bill Nighy. Then comes the fact that it was created by two minds that made 'Star Trek' an enjoyable franchise again — Jenny Lumet and Alex Kurtzman. Then there's the trailer itself which provides the audience a sneak peek of what's to expect. This one just might be the next big hit for the network.

A portion of the series showed at SXSW on March 12. Originally planned as a series for Paramount+, the show was later moved. 'The Man Who Fell to Earth' was in development for a year at Hulu, but was moved as a result of the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney. Ahead of the release of the much-anticipated series, here's everything you need to know.

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When does 'The Man Who Fell to Earth' release and where to watch it?

'The Man Who Fell to Earth' releases April 24 at 10 pm ET/PT on Showtime.

What is the plot of 'The Man Who Fell to Earth'?

Per Showtime's official synopsis, "An alien (Chiwetel Ejiofor) crashes deep into the oilfields of New Mexico with a mission: he must find the brilliant scientist Justin Falls (Naomie Harris), the one woman on earth who can help save his species. Even as he struggles to adapt to our world and to become more “human,” her faith in humanity couldn’t be lower. An unlikely duo, together they discover that in order to save his world, they must first save ours. An inspired continuation of the novel by Walter Tevis and the iconic 1976 film starring David Bowie."

Who stars in 'The Man Who Fell to Earth'?

Chiwetel Ejiofor ('The Martian') as the alien/Faraday, Naomie Harris ('Skyfall') as Justin Falls, Jimmi Simpson ('Psych') as Spencer Clay, Clarke Peters ('The Wire') as Josiah Falls, Rob Delaney (Deadpool 2') as Hatch Flood, Sonya Cassidy ('Lodge 49') as Edie Flood, Joana Ribeiro ('The Man Who Killed Don Quixote') as Lisa Dominguez, Annelle Olaleye as Molly Falls, and Bill Nighy ('The Boat that Rocked') as Thomas Jerome Newton.

British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor started his film career after several successful stage performances. He had a noticeable supporting role as an interpreter in Steven Spielberg's historical drama, "Amistad" (1997). He also earned high critical praise, particularly for his low-key performance in Stephen Frears'  "Dirty Pretty Things" (2002). His role as a sassy drag queen in "Kinky Boots" (2005), earned him his first Golden Globe nomination. Ejiofor graduated to bigger studio films, supporting Denzel Washington in both "Inside Man" (2006) and "American Gangster" (2007). The recognition does not stop there for the writer and director. He gained much popularity for his portrayal of Solomon Northup in "12 Years a Slave" (2013), for which he received Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations, along with the BAFTA Award for Best Actor. 

Who are the Showrunners?

'The Man Who Fell to Earth' was created by Jenny Lumet ('Star Trek: Discovery') and  Alex Kurtzman ('Mission: Impossible III). Rola Bauer, Carl Beverly, Françoise Guyonnet, John Hlavin, Heather Kadin, and Sarah Timberman serve as the executive producers.

Trailer