Lena Headey To Star In Sci-fi Drama ‘Beacon 23’ For Spectrum Originals/AMC Networks
‘Game Of Thrones’ star Lena Headey is heading from fantasy to space in ‘Beacon 23’, a new sci-fi thriller for Spectrum Originals, AMC Networks and Boat Rocker Studios.
From creator Zak Penn (‘Ready Player One’, ‘The Avengers’), this intimate, suspenseful thriller follows two people whose fates become entangled after they find themselves trapped together at the end of the known universe. A tense battle of wills unfolds at the edge of space, Halan, the beacon keeper, begins to question whether Aster (Headey) is friend or foe as her ability to disguise her agenda and motives could make her a formidable opponent.
“We had exactly one person in mind when thinking about who could play Aster – who could bring the strength, the vulnerability and the brilliance to Zak’s complex character? No one but Lena Headey”, commented Katherine Pope, Head of Spectrum Originals. “We couldn’t be more excited to go on this thrill ride with Lena and Zak leading the way.”
Headey is, of course, best known for her portrayal of Cersei Lannister in ‘Game of Thrones’ for which she was nominated for five Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Since then, she has voiced characters in Netflix’s ‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’ and ‘Wizards’, along with Cartoon Network’s ‘Infinity Train’, and will continue her voice work on Netflix’s highly anticipated reimagining of ‘Masters of The Universe’ from director Kevin Smith. On the live-action acting front, Headey just completed production on the feature films ‘9 Bullets’ opposite Sam Worthington and earlier this year wrapped up ‘Gunpowder Milkshake’ alongside Karen Gillan and Angela Bassett. This year also saw her make her writing/directing debut with ‘The Trap’, which was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best British Short Film. Along with starring in ‘Beacon 23’, Headey will exec produce the project through her production company, Peephole Productions, as part of her first-look deal with Boat Rocker Studios.
Zak Penn serves as creator, executive producer, and showrunner on the series. Penn was writer on the films ‘Ready Player One’, ‘The Avengers’, and ‘The Incredible Hulk’, along with co-creating the much-missed tv series ‘Alphas’. Other exec producers include Ira Steven Behr (‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’, ‘Outlander’ and ‘The 4400’), Lena Headey, Tina Thor, Elisa Ellis, and Katie O’Connell Marsh (‘Narcos’, ‘Hannibal’) for Boat Rocker Studios.
“Lena Headey was a wonderful, versatile actress before she gave one of the defining performances in television history. So, as they say, ‘no pressure…'”, adds Penn. “I’m thankful to all the people making this show possible, they just keep delivering beyond my expectations.”
Co-commissioned by Spectrum Originals and AMC Networks, co-produced by Spectrum Originals and Boat Rocker Studios, the series is based on the book of the same name by The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Hugh Howey. After a nine-month exclusive run for Spectrum in the US, ‘Beacon 23’ will be an AMC original with a second window across AMC Networks platforms. This may end up on AMC UK, or could get sold to someone else internationally, we’ll have to wait and see.
