The cast for Noah Hawley's Alien prequel continues to grow.
Just yesterday, we learned that Timothy Olyphant would be joining the cast and now, David Rysdahl has boarded the project.
It's being reported that Rysdahl will be portraying a synth or artificial person- which are biomechanical humanoids, or machines that closely resemble humans in both look and behavior. Synths are often designed to serve as servants, workers, or companions, but they have occasionally been employed for malevolent purposes.
Synths have played an important role in various films and novels in the Alien franchise. They've been portrayed as both allies and adversaries, and they've frequently been utilized to examine issues like artificial intelligence, awareness, and the essence of mankind. They have shown to be more dangerous than the Xenomorphs on multiple occasions.
Past depictions include Ash in Alien (1979), portrayed by Ian Holm and Bishop in Aliens (1986) and Aliens 3 (1992), portrayed by Lance Henriksen. More recently, Michael Fassbender portrayed the sinister synth, David, in Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017).
While Rhysdal's exact role is being kept under wraps for now, Deadline reports that Olyphant is portraying the synth, "Kirsh, a synth who acts as a mentor and trainer for Wendy, a character with the body of an adult, but the brain and consciousness of a child."
Aside from Olyphant and Rhysdahl, the cast for the prequel includes The full cast for the show includes Sydney Chandler (Don't Worry Darling), Alex Lawther (Black Mirror, Andor), Samuel Blenkin (The Sandman, Black Mirror), Kit Young (Shadow and Bone), Essie Davis (Matrix Revolutions, Assassin's Creed), and Adarsh Gourav (The White Tiger).
Previously, Hawley told Vanity Fair that the series is set on Earth and will deal with issues of class warfare. "The alien stories are always trapped… Trapped in a prison, trapped in a space ship. I thought it would be interesting to open it up a little bit so that the stakes of “What happens if you can’t contain it?” are more immediate. "
In addition to the prequel show, a new Alien film by filmmaker Fede Alvarez is also in the works at Disney/20th Century Studios, with a theatrical release date of August 16, 2024. The cast includes Cailee Spaeny, Isabela Merced, Archie Renaux, David Jonsson, Aileen Wu, and Spike Fearn.
The television series will be set before the events of the first film while the new Alien film will be set between the events of the original Ridley Scott-directed 1979 film and its James Cameron-helmed, 1986 sequel.
There's no concrete news on the show's release date as it emerges out of the long Hollywood SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes but stay tuned for future updates. After a strike-related pause in filming, the series is expected to resume its shoot in January.