Details Emerge For TNT's Steven Spielberg-Produced Alien Invasion Series, Moon Bloodgood Joins The Cast
We reported back in June that Noah Wyle was cast as the lead in Spielberg's untitled alien invasion series for TNT, and now we finally have more information on the project. It still doesn't have a title, but we've learned a few new details — including some additions to the cast. Moon Bloodgood (Terminator Salvation, Journeyman) — who must really like science fiction since she's always getting cast in genre work — joins as a therapist who helps children cope with the trauma of the alien invasion. Wyle plays a former professor who becomes the reluctant leader of a resistance group (is there any other kind?).
Spielberg is exec. producing this project, and he also came up with the idea for the series in conjunction with screenwriter Robert Rodat (Saving Private Ryan). Carl Franklin (Out of Time) directed the pilot, and he also did some directing work on the upcoming Spielberg series The Pacific.
While the premise is far from unique, I find Wyle endearing enough to give the pilot a shot at the very least. Who knows, it could end up being a better alien invasion series than the current V remake — a series I still find watchable despite some terrible dialog early on.
Here are the relevant bits from the press release:
Untitled Alien-Invasion Series
In this series from DreamWorks Television, Noah Wyle will star as the leader of a rag-tag group of soldiers and civilians struggling against an occupying alien force. The project is being executive-produced by Steven Spielberg, along with DreamWorks Television heads Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank and screenwriter Robert Rodat. Rodat, who earned an Oscar® nomination for his screenplay for Saving Private Ryan, wrote the pilot from an idea he co-conceived with Spielberg. The pilot was directed by Carl Franklin (One False Move, Out of Time).
"This series has the potential to be one of the most exciting and provocative shows on television," Wright said. "It grabs your heart and mind from the start and doesn't let go. It combines personal human drama with dynamic action to create the kind of series people will be talking about the morning after. We are especially thrilled to be working once again with Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks Television, as well as Noah Wyle and the extremely talented cast of veterans and newcomers around him."
The series opens shortly after aliens have wiped out most of the human population. The aliens are now rounding up the few people left, but they are met with strong resistance from a group of soldiers and civilians who fight for their survival – all while struggling to maintain their humanity.
Wyle plays Tom Mason, a former college history professor who becomes the reluctant leader of one of the resistance groups. Also starring in the series are Moon Bloodgood (Terminator Salvation) as Anne Glass, a therapist who works with the surviving children to help them cope with the traumatic situation; Drew Roy (Lincoln Heights) as Hal and Maxim Knight (Brothers & Sisters) as Matt, Tom's two sons; Jessy Schram (Crash) as Karen, who is one of the survivors' motorcycle scouts; and Seychelle Gabriel (Weeds) as Lourdes, an orphaned teenager who helps run the group's commissary.
This project marks Wyle's fifth venture with TNT, following three popular Librarian action-adventure movies and the acclaimed movie Pirates of Silicon Valley. TNT previously worked with DreamWorks Television on 2005's award-winning limited series Into the West. ...
[via Sci-Fi Wire]