Halle Berry to Star in CBS' Steven Spielberg Drama 'Extant'
12:30 PM PDT 10/4/2013 by Lesley Goldberg, Michael O'Connell
The Oscar winner has also inked a two-year first-look production deal with CBS Television Studios.
Halle Berry is heading to the small screen.
The Oscar winner has been tapped to star in Steven Spielberg's CBS summer drama Extant and inked The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Extant is described as a futuristic thriller about a female astronaut trying to reconnect with her family when she returns after a year in outer space. Her experiences lead to events that ultimately change the course of human history.
Berry will play the astronaut who returns home from a year-long solo mission in space and tries to reconnect with her husband and son in their everyday life. Her experiences in space and home lead to events that ultimately will change the course of human history.
"Halle is the type of award-winning actress you dream of collaborating with for an event project such as Extant," CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler said. "Her talent and ability to immerse herself into every performance has created memorable roles that have resonated with audiences everywhere. It’s a big coup for CBS to have Halle star in her first television series, especially with such an exciting original concept and a role layered with mystery and humanity."
Added Berry: "I'm always on the lookout for amazing roles and when you see material that contains this strong of auspices, nuance and complexity it compels me to run toward it no matter the medium. For five months a year I'll get to live with and play this incredibly intelligent and vulnerable woman, and for the remainder of the year I'll continue to look for other roles that move me as deeply as this one. I've found amazing partners in CBS's Nina Tassler and Les Moonves, and the incredible Steven Spielberg, along with his Amblin production team, whose vision and creativity in storytelling is unparalleled."
"There's only one Halle Berry and we are incredibly honored that she has chosen Extant to expand her illustrious career," Spielberg said. “As she does with everything she touches, she will bring a deep authenticity to her role and I very much look forward to working with her.”
Spielberg, Greg Walker and Mickey Fisher, who penned the script, will executive produce alongside Brooklyn Weaver, Justin Falvey andDarryl Frank. CBS Television Distribution will handle domestic distribution, while CBS Studios International will handle worldwide rights. Adam Rodin will co-exec produce.
The drama reteams CBS with Amblin, who also are behind this summer's top scripted drama Under the Dome. For its part, CBS has already renewed Dome, from CBSTVS and DreamWorks TV,for a second season after the pricey series proved that there's a home for high-quality original scripted programming during the typically low-rated summer months. CBS struck an early content licensing deal with Amazon, giving Amazon Prime members unlimited access to the serialized drama four days after the network broadcast, helping offset the costs of the adaptation of Stephen King's book.
Berry, repped by Vincent Cirrincione and CAA. Her credits include Monster's Ball, for which she won an Academy Award. Her feature film credits include X-Men and Die Another Day. Her TV roles include HBO's Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, for which she earned an Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Award. She also earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for Oprah Winfrey's Their Eyes Were Watching God.
