J.K. Simmons will replace Ed O’Neill in Amazon’s upcoming drama series “Lightyears.”
O’Neill was announced back in March but had to leave due to personal reasons, an individual with knowledge told TheWrap. Simmons will co-star alongside Sissy Spacek.
“Lightyears” follows Franklin (Simmons) and Irene York (Spacek), a couple who years ago discovered a chamber buried in their backyard that inexplicably leads to a strange, deserted planet. They’ve carefully guarded their secret ever since, but when an enigmatic young man enters their lives, the Yorks’ quiet existence is quickly upended… and the mysterious chamber they thought they knew so well turns out to be much more than they could ever have imagined.
“Lightyears” is a co-production of Amazon Studios and Legendary Television. The series is written and co-executive produced by Holden Miller, with Daniel C. Connolly serving as showrunner and executive producer, and Mosaic’s Jimmy Miller and Sam Hansen serving as executive producers. Argentinian director Juan José Campanella will direct and executive produce the first two episodes.
Legendary is the studio behind Amazon’s “Carnival Row” and is also producing the upcoming “Paper Girls.”
(Excerpt) Read more: The Wrap