Award-winning actress Vera Farmiga is due to appear in an episode of a new anthology series. With the Bates Motel series finale now behind her and Farmiga no longer giving her wonderfully-layered performance of Norma Bates, her next major project on TV is due to have a more futuristic feel to it, and be linked to the writings of Philip K. Dick .
Farmiga most notably gained critical acclaim for her role in the 2009 comedy/drama Up in the Air, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award, amongst other accolades. More recently however she has become more well-known for her roles linking to the horror genre. Along with the testy Mrs Bates (for which she was nominated for an Emmy), she also plays the paranormal investigator Lorraine Warren in the popular The Conjuring films, and was recently announced as joining the cast of Godzilla: King of Monsters, as a major character.
Now in a report from Variety, it has been confirmed that the actress has also just having signed on to star in an episode of the new anthology series from Channel 4 - a show titled Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams. Farmiga will star alongside actor Mel Rodriguez (The Last Man on Earth) in an episode entitled “Kill All Others". The segment has been written by Emmy-nominated U.S. writer/director Dee Rees. Farmiga's role is said to be that of a politician who makes a shocking statement that encourages violence. Rodriguez plays the lone individual who sees fit to stand up to her beliefs and puts himself in danger, as a result.
This being an anthology show, presumably similar in style to that of Black Mirror (which originated from the same channel), each episode is based on a stand-alone reworked short story by the legendary author Philip K. Dick, whose work inspired such sci-fi classics as Blade Runner, Total Recall and Minority Report. Cast members already announced for the series include Bryan Cranston, Steve Buscemi, Richard Madden, Anna Paquin, Terrence Howard, Greg Kinnear, Timothy Spall, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Mireille Enos, Anne Reid, Tuppence Middleton, Hayley Squires, Holliday Grainger, Jack Reynor, Benedict Wong and Geraldine Chaplin. Plot details for other Electric Dreams episodes have been released now, too.
Whilst it's certainly not the first time Dick's work has been adapted for the screen, it's the first time his writing has been given such intensive treatment on the small screen - and hopefully, the show will remain true to his chilling futuristic visions. At any rate, given the quality of the casts and the source material, this looks to be a TV series that will enthrall sci-fi and drama fans alike.
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Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams was commissioned by Channel 4, which will air the series later this year. Amazon Prime Video will launch it in the U.S.
Source: Variety