Sean Penn has joined the cast of Beau Willimon’s (House of Cards) upcoming Hulu drama series The First.
Penn’s role on the show is being kept tightly under wraps but it does mark his first foray into television.
“I have such deep admiration for Sean’s immense talent and extraordinary body of work,” said Willimon. “I feel very lucky to be collaborating with an artist of his caliber.”
Set in the near future, “The First” will follow the first human mission to Mars exploring the challenges of taking the first steps toward interplanetary colonization. The story focuses not only on the astronauts, but also on their families and loved ones, as well as the ground team on Earth.
Hulu and Channel 4 have given a straight-to-series order for the show, created by Willimon (House of Cards, Ides of March), who also serves as executive producer alongside his producing partner Jordan Tappis under their Westward Productions banner.
The First will go into production this year and is slated to premiere on Hulu in the US and on Channel 4 in the UK and Ireland in 2018.
