Steven Spielberg has tapped Noah Wyle to headline his untitled alien-invasion pilot for TNT, sources confirm to me exclusively.
The potential series — which was announced last month at TNT’s upfront presentation — takes place six months after evil extra terrestrials decimate mankind. Wyle will play the leader of a ragtag group of citizens who try to bring down the aggressors.
Translation: It’s Spielberg’s take on V!
The gig marks a small-screen reunion for ex-TV doc Wyle and Spielberg; the Oscar-winning director was one of ER’s founding producers. It also keeps Wyle in business with TNT, the network behind his super-fun* Librarian movies.
A TNT spokesperson declined to comment.
Is Wyle the right guy for the role? Sound off below?
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* So I hear. I’ve never actually seen a single one.
Comments (1-30) of 91 Add your comment
He looks too happy to be a resistance leader.
Interesting. Has Spielberg ever been involved with Television show before?
http://tvdonewright.com/2009/06/15/al-roker-deserves-a-medal-sticking-it-to-heidi-and-spencer-pratt/
Look at that; as soon as ER ends, Wyle gets another great career opportunity. Too bad he left ER years earlier . . . I’m sure the irony is just killing him.
Noah is definitely the right actor. It would be great to see him again on tv. Is this a mini-series or a full fledged series? I wonder if the next Librarian movie will make it to the Silver Screen.
Spielberg has been involved in several series and mini-series for tv…
Noah is an interesting person for the lead role, can he do it? I think so – seen him in non-smiley roles before and he does a good job in them. I think he may have the chops and it will be good his career. Personally always like Wyle, while he may not of had the career of Clooney he has worked pretty steadily since leaving ER.
As a John Carter fangirl from way back I can tell you I’m there. And Spielberg does some amazing things with aliens on TV. Remember ‘Taken’? Brilliant stuff. Noah would be awesome in a role like this, The Librian character is too soft to really show his range the way ER did.
Oh, this could be really good.
I don’t see the logic of doing this immediately after the “V” remake premieres.
I will watch anything with Noah Wyle in it! Including the Librarian movies. The first and second were pretty good, and the third mostly bored me to tears. Still, I watched it for him!
I think Wyle is a good, but not inspired choice. I’d love to see Jason Dohring get more work since I think he’s fantastic. And Nathan Fillion either needs to jump to the BIG time or be the man on a blockbuster TV show, so he’s always in my running. Finally, I want Dominic West of The Wire fame back on TV asap. I think he could do a bang-up job. He is one of the better actors I’ve ever seen get VERY little credit. I lied, one more, Lance Reddick is crazy good all the time, get him on screen. He’s someone I always believe can save me.
OH MY GOD, YES, YES, YES!!! I’ve loved Noah Wyle since ‘94. That guy could make the whole Carter-is-a-junkie storyline believable, he definitely has what it takes to battle aliens
You haven’t seen the Librarian movies?? Not even the one with Gabrielle Anwar? As you said, fun. Just fun.
Noah proved to be good in everything he did when he got the chance to be a lead…drama or comedy. So I’m totally ok with this
Sounds like regurgitated Terminator to me.
I like Spielberg, Wyle, and Aliens, but I’d prefer to see some spaceships, lasers and…uh, real cool aliens.
You need to grab a copy of The Librarian: Quest for the Spear immediately! It co-stars Sonya [Penny!!!] Walger as the female Indiana Jones-type who has to help klutzy genius Flynn Carsen [Wylem of course] find and retrieve a magic spear that has been stolen from The Library. Bob Newhart stars as Flynn’s new boss – a former Marine who can still kick a little a$$ when the occasion demands…
Really. You owe it to yourself.
Will definitely watch it. Love Noah!
As much as I love Jason Dohring (and believe me, I really do love him) I think he might be a bit young to play the leader of any resistance. I think Wyle is a good pick: a normal guy rising up to the occasion, rather your average hunky Hollywood hero. Although, I find Noah to be hunky in his own way
He’s perfect. He’s a natural to play a leader. You can’t argue with Speilberg’s casting choices as a lot of his choices have gone onto have stellar careers!
more aliens? Spielberg needs some new material.
I think Noah Wyle + Spielberg = awesomeness. I loved him on ER–my favorite, even when the show was going downhill.
Roger Ebert is right. Why has Spielberg insisted on his aliens being evil all the time now?
I mean, we have tons of evil aliens. I’d be interested in a series about the effect of Alien/Human connection in which it is not a war.
It needs to be more complex.
LOVE Noah–he is criminally under-appreciated by the industry, and SOOO happy to hear he is going to finally get a big-budget/big-name starring vehicle. I’ll watch anything he’s in because he brings such humanity and gentle strength to his roles. AWESOME!!!!!
I think Noah is an excellent choice. He has that average joe, everyman look. An everyman forced into the position of having to fight back against invading aliens is more interesting than if you had a Rambo type character (which has been done to death).
Lee, you should read Future’s End: Falcon’s Redemption several races of non evil aliens in that story.
*the librarian MFTM are actually very fun. Recommend seeing them.
I don’t think I’d tune in just to see him.
But if the other charcters were good, I might like the show.
LOVE Noah–chronically under-used AND under-appreciated. So glad to see him getting such a high profile role that sounds AWESOME! Perfect for his unique talents–brining humanity and gentle strength to roles–he really has that epic everyman quality. AWESOME!!!
Wyle is great and I’d at least catch the first episode to see if the series would be worth watching. (And you really have to watch the Librarian movies, especially the first one.)
Hey, give Spielberga a break: E.T. wasn’t evil.
Yes he is!!!