Netflix's space exploration series Another Life has added several new cast members, including Supergirl's own Man of Steel, Tyler Hoechlin. The show is being headlined by Katee Sackhoff, who herself is far from a stranger to outer space stories (see Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, etc.).
Created by Aaron Martin (Degrassi: The Next Generation, Slasher), Another Life follows semi-futuristic astronaut Niko Breckenridge (Sackhoff) on a mission to uncover the origins of an alien artifact. Selma Blair is costarring in the series as Harper Glass: the journalist who accompanies Niko on her expedition, in the hope of getting to break the news about humans making first contact with extraterrestrials. Netflix ordered a 10-episode season of Another Life back in April, with longtime TV veteran Omar Madha (a recurring director on Scorpion and The Americans) set to helm the first two episodes.
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According to THR, Hoechlin will costar in Another Life as Ian Yerxa, the ex-commander of Niko's spaceship. Other new cast addition include Justin Chatwin (Shameless, American Gothic) as Erik Wallace - Niko's husband and a member of the U.S. Interstellar Command - and Elizabeth Faith Ludlow (The Walking Dead) as Cas Isakovic, Niko's loyal second in command on her mission. Lastly, Samuel Anderson (Doctor Who) will play William, an AI being and holographic interface that assists Niko's crew on their rather-dangerous voyage.
With Sackhoff headlining and up-and-comers like Ludlow in key supporting roles, the Another Life cast is a nice mix of veteran TV actors and promising talent on the rise. By comparison, the show's basic concept feels pretty routine and features more than a few genre tropes that read as familiar on paper (see Anderson as an AI sidekick that may or may not try to assume control of the mission, at some point). Execution will be key here, if Another Life is to stand out among the increasing number of series about humans trying to find non-earthlings.
It also remains to be seen if Another Life draws from any subgenres other than space exploration drama. For example, Syfy's upcoming George R.R. Martin TV adaptation Nightflyers is a self-described haunted house story set on a spaceship. Netflix's Lost in Space reboot is similarly a series about the mysteries of the cosmos that leans heavily on its survival adventure elements. If Martin's show can find its own unique angle on the same premise (as those TV series have), then it may yet become a success for the streaming service.
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Another Life does not have an official premiere date. We will let you know when that changes.
Source: THR