David Farnor | On 22, Nov 2016

Anil Kapoor has signed up for Amazon’s adaptation of Michel Faber’s The Book of Strange New Things.

The Indian superstar, who has broken through to mainstream Western media with roles in Slumdog Millionaire, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and 24, will play a “key role” in the project, reports Deadline.

The story follows a priest, who is sent into space to help start a new human colony, but ends puts his faith to the test but life as we know it. Kapoor will play Vikram Danesh, the authoritative head of the human base on Oasis.

He joins a cast that includes Game of Thrones’ Richard Madden and Haley Joel Osment. Amazon has only ordered one episode of the series, which will premiere as part of its pilot season process, which lets viewers rate and give feedback that inform’s Amazon’s decision on whether to commission a full season. With Bridge of Spies’ Matt Charman writing and The Last King of Scotland’s Kevin MacDonald directing, though, we fully expect this to run for much longer than that.

 

Haley Joel Osment signs up for Strange New Things

1st November 2016

Haley Joel Osment has signed up for Strange New Things.

Not to be confused with Netflix’s Stranger Things, also currently casting for its second season, the project is a sci-fi pilot for Amazon Studios.

Based on Michel Faber’s book of the same name, the drama follows a priest called Peter (Game of Thrones’ Richard Madden), who is sent into space to help start a new colony – a journey that takes him light years from his wife.

The epic project sees Amazon join forces with producers Left Bank Pictures, who worked with Netflix on its equally ambitious series, The Crown.

The pilot is no less impressive, though, with Matt Charman (Bridge of Spies) writing and exec producing and Kevin Macdonald on directing duties.

Deadline reports that Osment will play Sy, “a man who used to grow large quantities of marijuana before being recruited to work on the new colony as chief botanist”.

It follows a string of small-screen roles for the actor, who found fame as a child in The Sixth Sense, including a recurring role on Hulu’s Future Man and TV Land’s Teachers.

Richard Madden signs up for Amazon’s Strange New Things

11th September 2016

Richard Madden has signed on to star in Amazon’s Strange New Things pilot.

The actor, who is best known for his role as Robb Stark in HBO’s Game of Thrones, has had an increasingly diverse CV in more recent years, from playing Prince Charming in Disney’s reboot of Cinderella to reuniting with director Kenneth Branagh and co-star Lily James for a version of Romeo and Juliet at London’s Garrick Theatre. He also starred alongside Idris Elba in James Watkins’ action thriller Bastille Day and will soon take the lead in Medici: Kingdom of Gold, opposite Dustin Hoffman.

That return to the small screen will continue with his role in Amazon’s new pilot. Based on Michel Faber’s cult hit, The Book of Strange New Things, the story follows a priest called Peter (to be played by Madden), who is sent into space to help start a new colony – a journey that takes him light years from his wife, Be a.

The epic project sees Amazon join forces with producers Left Bank Pictures, who are currently working on Netflix’s equally ambitious drama, The Crown.

Matt Charman is penning Amazon’s adaptation, hot on the heels of his script for Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies. The Last King of Scotland’s Kevin Macdonald will direct, and Brian Eno will provide the music.

 

Amazon in talks for Kevin Macdonald’s Strange New Things

1st May 2016

Amazon is reportedly in talks to pick up new sci-fi series Strange New Things.

Based on Michel Faber’s acclaimed The Book of Strange New Things, the TV series already boasts an impressive pedigree: Matt Charman is penning the adaptation, hot on the heels of his script for Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies, The Last King of Scotland’s Kevin Macdonald will direct, and Brian Eno will provide the music.

The series, which Deadline reports is set to span 10 episodes, will follow “Peter Leigh, an English pastor who embarks on the journey of a lifetime into deep space that takes him light years away from his beloved wife, Bea”.

The epic project is being described as a “major statement of intent” for the streaming service. Indeed, it sees Amazon join forces with producers Left Bank Pictures, who are currently working on Netflix’s equally ambitious drama, The Crown, penned by Peter Morgan and starring Claire Foy and Matt Smith. That show has a reported budget of $100 million.

Left Bank’s Andy Harries and Lila Rawlings will exec produce Strange New Things, along with Charman and Macdonald.

Amazon, meanwhile, is clearly looking to step up its original content game, with its talks for Strange New Things arriving after a partnership with BBC Worldwide to produce Amazon’s first original UK series, The Collection, a French fashion drama set after World War II.

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