J.K. Simmons-Led Sci-Fi Series Night Sky Sets May Release Date On Prime Video

After spending the last two years mostly staring at the same four walls and continuing to carve out a perfect bottom-shaped dent in my living room couch, there are few things that sound more appealing than getting the opportunity to explore the limitless possibilities of time and space. Starring J.K. Simmons and Sissy Spacek, Prime Video's "Night Sky" (formerly known as "Lightyears") features the duo as Franklin and Irene York, a couple who discover a passageway in their backyard that leads to a distant planet. The Yorks have enjoyed their secret for years, but when a mysterious young man (Chai Hansen of "The Newsreader" fame) arrives out of nowhere, the Yorks realize that their unexplainable passageway may be part of an even bigger mystery than they ever thought fathomable.

The new eight-part series will hit the Prime Video streaming platform globally on Friday, May 20, 2022. All eight episodes will be available simultaneously, so we can all spend our weekend binging J.K. Simmons and Sissy Spacek's adventures through time and space. The show comes to us from Legendary Television and is written and co-executive produced by studio associate producer of "​​The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore," Holden Miller. Daniel C. Connolly is serving as the showrunner and executive producer but is joined by Jimmy Miller, Sam Hansen, and Philip Martin also as executive producers.

Two acting legends exploring the vast universe

With few exceptions like the long-running beloved series "Doctor Who," series that deeply explore space and the recesses of the universe tend to center on young performers. J.K. Simmons and Sissy Spacek are both acting national treasures, with over 100 years of experience between the two. Simmons has obviously been busy with multiple superhero properties over the last few years, and an Academy Award nomination for his performance in "Being the Ricardos." Spacek has been on a bit of a hiatus, with "Night Sky" her first project since the 2018 Amazon series, "Homecoming."

Both Simmons and Spacek have a history of working in the genre space, and seeing the two of them on a sci-fi adventure filled with intrigue, thrills, and drama sounds compelling, to say the least. The series is the latest in a slew of Amazon's science fiction properties, like "Upload," "The Wheel of Time," and the upcoming Josh Brolin series, "Outer Range." While Amazon has yet to release a trailer for "Night Sky," its assumed one will arrive soon considering they've released footage for "The Terminal List" and "The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings of Power" which are both due to premiere after "Night Sky."