Charles Dance will play alien ambassador Karellen in “Childhood’s End,” the Syfy miniseries based on Arthur C. Clarke popular and seminal novel about mysterious extraterrestrials who come to Earth and stick around a good long time.
I’ve no idea if Dance will be wandering around in a motion capture suit, but there’s a chance his will be a purely vocal performance, as Karellen is a disembodied voice for a lot of the story and very alien in appearance when humanity finally gets a look at him.
This in no way mitigates my grief over the passing of Tywin Lannister.
Press release!
SYFY AND UNIVERSAL CABLE PRODUCTIONS ANNOUNCE EMMY NOMINEE CHARLES DANCE WILL STAR AS THE ALIEN OVERLORD KARELLEN IN UPCOMING TELEVISION EVENT CHILDHOOD’S ENDSIX-HOUR MINISERIES WILL AIR ON SYFY IN 2015
NEW YORK – October 27, 2014 – Syfy and Universal Cable Productions today announced that Emmy nominee Charles Dance, whose numerous credits include Game of Thrones, Phantom of the Opera, Jewel in the Crown and Bleak House, will play the lead role of the alien Overlord “Karellen” in the upcoming six-hour miniseries Childhood’s End.
Adapted from Arthur C. Clarke’s classic novel, Childhood’s End will premiere on Syfy in 2015. Childhood’s End follows the peaceful invasion of Earth by the mysterious Overlords. Karellen (Dance), the ambassador for the Overlords, makes first contact with Earthling Ricky Stormgren. Karellen’s comforting words and amazing technological gifts quickly win humanity’s favor, beginning decades of apparent utopia at the cost of human identity and culture. However, his refusal to reveal his physical appearance and insistence on dealing only through Ricky have some people questioning whether his intentions are truly benevolent.
In making the announcement, Bill McGoldrick, Executive Vice President, Original Content, Syfy, said: “We are thrilled that Charles has picked Childhood’s End following his amazing work in Game of Thrones.”
Akiva Goldsman (Lone Survivor, A Beautiful Mind, I Am Legend) and Mike DeLuca (Captain Philips, Moneyball, The Social Network) will serve as executive producers. Alissa Phillips (Moneyball, Mob City) is co-executive producer. Childhood’s End will be adapted by Matthew Graham (creator of BBC's Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes). Universal Cable Productions will be the studio.
The miniseries will be directed by Nick Hurran, who received an Emmy Award nomination for Sherlock and a Hugo Award nomination for Dr. Who.
Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in 96 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. (Syfy. Imagine Greater.)
