Bill Nighy has landed a key role in the upcoming The Man Who Fell to Earth series – one made famous by David Bowie.

Deadline reports that Nighy has been cast opposite Chiwetel Ejiofor and Naomie Harris as Thomas Newton, the part played by the late rock icon in 1976's The Man Who Fell to Earth movie.

Based on a Walter Tevis novel, The Man Who Fell to Earth centers on an alien character (now played by Ejiofor) who arrives on Earth at a key point in human evolution. Nighy is playing Thomas Newton, the first alien to arrive on Earth 40 years ago, whose time intermingling with the human race has taken a heavy toll on him.

The series, which is being written and executive-produced by Alex Kurtzman (Star Trek: Discovery) and Jenny Lumet (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds), reunites Nighy with his Love Actually co-star Ejiofor and Pirates of the Caribbean castmate Harris. Other actors confirmed for the Showtime series include Rob Delaney, Kate Mulgrew, and Jimmi Simpson.

"I was honored to be invited to play the part of Thomas Jerome Newton that glorious David Bowie made so famous," Nighy said in a statement. "I was keen to work with Chiwetel and Naomie again. I think the story is terrific and brilliantly expressed. I am an enthusiast for shows which extrapolate from current technology and give us plausible glimpses of a possible near future. It’s an important story which, as well as being highly entertaining, discusses the crucial issues of our time."

He added: "I like to think that the film makers of the original film would applaud Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet for their imaginative daring and loyal regard."

Can you picture Bill Nighy as Thomas Newton?