When it comes to The Man Who Fell to Earth, the novel by Walter Tevis has had quite the history. From a film adaptation of the same name from the ’70s starring David Bowie to the musical Lazarus that used David Bowie music and pulled inspiration from the original novel, it is intricately linked to the late musician. So when news broke of the Showtime series, it became a question of how the series was going to differ from the movie, musical, and novel all in one.
The series, which stars Chiwetel Ejiofor (so we’re already invested), takes us on the journey of an alien who comes to Earth and searches for answers. The description of the show is as follows: “An alien who arrives on Earth at a turning point in human evolution and must confront his own past to determine our future.” And with a cast that also include Naomie Harris, this promises to be one of the most talented new shows out there.
You can see the brief teaser here which just shows Ejiofor and Harris meeting.
All of this is exciting, but news also broke that Bill Nighy will take on the role of Thomas Jerome Newton, the role originally played by Bowie in the 1976 film. The thing about this property as a whole is that it is very attached to David Bowie in multiple ways, so having the role included is paying homage to him in its own way and tying that to the already stacked cast and this show is extremely promising.
Bowie and Lazarus
Before Bowie passed away, he was working on a musical that was running at the New York Theatre Workshop titled Lazarus that used his music and was named for a song on his last studio album titled Blackstar. The show was inspired both by the novel and the movie adaptation in which Bowie starred, and it featured Bowie’s character (played by Michael C. Hall in the show).
The musical is very Bowie in the sense that it is surreal in the best possible way and alien in a way that David Bowie embodied simply with his presence. So, having someone like Bill Nighy, who is also eccentric in his own way, take it on makes a lot of sense and is incredible casting for the role.
Overall, the show has my interest not only because The Man Who Fell to Earth is a fascinating book and story overall ,but because it is something that is almost timeless. From its release in 1963 to the movie in 1976 and then the adaptation of Lazarus, it is something that has spanned nearly 60 years of adaptations, and this show looks like a perfect look into the book and its history of adaptations.
Nighy is a great choice to take on Newton, and seeing how he’ll bring his own take on the character that Bowie brought to life is a perfect fit. And also who doesn’t want to see Ejiofor, Harris, and Nighy all take on The Man Who Fell to Earth—or anything, really—together?
(image: British Lion Films)
