'House of Cards' Creator Teams With Sean Penn for Hulu Space Drama 'The First'
Hollywood movie star Sean Penn is joining the bandwagon of big-named actors doing projects for the small screen. The two-time Oscar winner will soon star in the Hulu series "The First," which comes from "House of Cards" creator Beau Willimon.
"The First" is a space drama about humans in Mars. Penn's character has not been detailed but the planned eight-episode series will focus on both astronauts, men from the ground, and their families.
Filming for "The First" is expected to take place this year, while Hulu plans to premiere the show in 2018. The show will also air on Channel 4 in the U.K. and Ireland. Willimon as writer and producer will have Jordan Tappis as co-executive producer.
"I have such deep admiration for Sean's immense talent and extraordinary body of work," Willimon said about Penn's involvement. "I feel very lucky to be collaborating with an artist of his caliber."
Penn's casting comes as Hulu won major awards at the recent Emmy ceremonies for "The Handmaid's Tale," Elisabeth Moss and the show's director Reed Morano. The streaming service bested other platforms like Netflix and Amazon.
Working on television, however, is not new for Penn. The actor had guest appearances on shows like "Friends" and "Two and a Half Men."
Before "The First" airs, viewers can also watch Penn in the six-hour miniseries "American Lion" on HBO as President Andrew Jackson. Production for this project commenced last year but the cable network has not yet announced an air date.
Penn enjoys a stellar career as an actor. He earned five acting Oscar nominations for movies like "Dead Man Walking," "Sweet and Lowdown," "I Am Sam," "Mystic River," and "Milk."
Penn also dabbles in directing an earned a Director's Guild nomination for "Into the Wild" in 2007. It's unclear if he will be directing an episode of his show on Hulu.
