- Vanessa Williams, Sterling Knight, Brittany Curran, Carlos Knight and Akemi Look are joining "The Man From Earth: Holocene," a sequel to 2007’s sci-fier "The Man From Earth", Variety reports.
David Lee Smith, who portrayed the lead character John Oldman, and William Katt will return. The storyline for the sequel is being kept under wraps until the film’s release in 2017.
The 2007 original, penned by sci-fi writer/author Jerome Bixby, centered on a college professor who’s actually a centuries-old caveman. Richard Schenkman is returning to direct with shooting starting next week in Southern California.
The original script was the last work from Bixby, best known for his 1953 story "It’s a Good Life," which was the basis for a 1961 episode of "The Twilight Zone" and was included in "Twilight Zone: The Movie." He also wrote four episodes for the "Star Trek" series and co-wrote the story upon which the movie "Fantastic Voyage" was based.
"The Man From Earth" made its debut at the 2007 Comic-Con, then hit the festival circuit before being released by Starz/Anchor Bay Entertainment.
"People have been asking for this since the first movie became a viral phenomenon," Schenkman said. "Over the years, I’ve spent time developing this property with the ultimate goal of creating a long-form series. I’ve had a lot of help from a number of really talented people, and stunning support from fans all over the world. It’s been a long road, but now that we’re about to start shooting, I could not be more excited."
Schenkman and Eric D. Wilkinson are producing the sequel. Schenkman is directing from a script he co-wrote with Jerome Bixby’s son, Emerson Bixby, who also serves as executive producer through his Falling Sky Entertainment Banner. "The Man From Earth: Holocene" is based on a story by Schenkman and Wilkinson.
Schenkman’s credits include "A Diva’s Christmas Carol," starring Williams, and "The Pompatus of Love," starring Jon Cryer and Kristin Scott Thomas. Williams starred in the seventh and eighth seasons of "Desperate Housewives" and in "Ugly Betty."
Knight’s credits include "17 Again," "Sonny With a Chance" and "Melissa & Joey." Curran starred in "Dear White People."
