During the streaming service's presentation at the Television Critics Association's summer press tour, CBS All Access gave a series order to an adaptation of The Man Who Fell to Earth, based on the novel by Walter Tevis and the 1976 feature film starring David Bowie.
The drama will follow an alien who arrives on Earth at a turning point in human evolution and who must confront his own past to determine our future.
Star Trek: Discovery's Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet developed the drama and will serve as co-showrunners. They will also executive produce with Rola Bauer, Tim Halkin, Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly and Heather Kadin. Aaron Baiers will serve as a co-executive producer. CBS Television Studios, Tandem Productions and Secret Hideout will produce.
"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 of Originals, 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."
"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 impact on our world," added Kurtzman and 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."
