Showtime’s ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’ Releases First Trailer Amid David Bowie Homage

Showtime’s new The Man Who Fell to Earth series has released its first trailer, and it’s clear the show intends to pay homage to the late David Bowie. The new series is based on Walter Tevis’ 1963 novel of the same name, which spawned a film adaptation from filmmaker Nicolas Roeg starring Bowie back in 1976. The teaser for the new series reveals Oscar-nominated actor Chiwetel Ejiofor (Doctor Strange) as an alien, going by the name Faraday, who crash lands on Earth amid his own planet’s near-extinction.

Faraday meets Justin Falls, played by fellow Academy Awards nominee Naomie Harris (No Time to Die). Falls is a struggling single mother who finds herself as Faraday’s only ally in his pursuit to save Earth from the same fate his own planet is facing. Notably, Bill Nighy fills the void left by Bowie’s death in 2016, as the iconic actor is playing Thomas Jerome Newton, the role Bowie originated in the ’76 film. Additional cast members of The Man Who Fell to Earth include Jimmi Simpson, Kate Mulgrew, Sonya Cassidy, Clarke Peters, and Rob Delaney. The show is helmed by Alex Kurtzman (the ), who serves as executive producer, writer and director.

“I think it’s amazing and it’s beautiful that Walter Teviis is having his moment right now. I wish he had more of it when he was alive so he could appreciate how much people appreciate his work,” Kurtman said during a press panel, per Deadline, speaking about the novelist who also penned The Queen’s Gambit, which was adapted into a hit drama series at Netflix. “I think we felt a tremendous debt to honor the legacy of David Bowie, of Walter Tevis and Nicolas Roeg – of all the people who built these extraordinary stories because they clearly wrenched their hearts open to tell them. We felt like the only way to do this authentically and honestly is to do the same.”

Speaking about bringing his own experiences to the role of Faraday, Ejiofor said, “You have to rely on the ways you’ve interacted with people, the way you’ve felt like an outsider, the way you’ve tried to belong.” He added, “You have to bring that to playing the part to try to understand it.” Finally, Ejiofor offered, “Inevitably, that kind of throws up this contemplation of your own journey, about your own personality.” The Man Who Fell to Earth will debut on Showtime sometime in 2022.