Sissy Spacek, Ed O’Neill to Lead Amazon Sci-Fi Series ‘Lightyears’
Sissy Spacek and Ed O’Neill have been cast in the lead roles of the upcoming Amazon series “Lightyears,” Variety has learned.
The series follows Irene (Spacek) and Franklin (O’Neill) York, a couple who years ago discovered a chamber buried in their backyard which inexplicably leads to a strange, deserted planet. They’ve carefully guarded their secret ever since, but when an enigmatic young man enters their lives, the Yorks’ quiet existence is quickly upended and the mysterious chamber they thought they knew so well turns out to be much more than they could ever have imagined.
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Spacek is primarily known for her feature roles, including her Oscar-winning turn in the 1981 film “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” She was also nominated for Oscars for the films “Carrie,” “Missing,” “The River,” “Crimes of the Heart,” and “In the Bedroom.” She has made a number of forays into television in recent years, including a role in Amazon’s “Homecoming,” “Castle Rock” at Hulu,” and “Bloodlines” at Netflix.
She is repped by UTA, MGMT Entertainment, and FAT DOT.
O’Neill has been a television mainstay for decades, most recently in the megahit sitcom “Modern Family.” The show concluded after 11 seasons and 250 episodes last April, with O’Neill earning three Emmy nominations in the role of family patriarch Jay. He is also known for starring in “Married…With Children,” for which he earned two Golden Globe nods. His other TV credits include “The West Wing” and the reboot of “Dragnet,” while he has also starred in films such as “Finding Dory,” the “Wreck-It Ralph” movies, and “Spartan.”
He is repped by Gersh and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.
“Lightyears” is scheduled to begin filming later this year. Holden Miller is the writer and co-executive producer, with Daniel C. Connolly showrunning and executive producing. Jimmy Miller and Sam Hansen of Mosaic also executive produce along with Philip Martin, who will also direct. Juan José Campanella will direct and executive produce the first two episodes. The series is a co-production between Amazon Studios and Legendary Television. Legendary currently produces the Amazon series “Carnival Row” and is currently working on the series “Paper Girls” for the streamer.
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