Walter Tevis’ 1963 sci-fi novel The Man Who Fell to Earth will be brought to life once again with the just-announced CBS All Access series of the same name. Tevis’ popular novel was also the inspiration for the 1976 film starring David Bowie, Rip Torn, and Buck Henry. Nicolas Roeg directed the R-rated feature film adaptation.
The series has Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet and John Hlavin on board as co-showrunners. Kurtzman and Lumet are also set to write the series. Rola Bauer, Tim Halkin, Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly and Heather Kadin are executive producing. StudioCanal has control of The Man Who Fell to Earth novel and film, and StudioCanal’s Tandem Productions will be co-producing the series with CBS Television Studios.
“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,” stated 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,” added 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.”
The Plot:
“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.”
