It's always nice when we get to see some of our favorite actors on screen again, even if they aren't playing the characters we know them for the best. Now, actor Richard Madden, who brought Robb Stark to life on Game of Thrones, has found himself a new role in a crazy new show.
Richard Madden has signed on to star in the Amazon pilot Strange New Things. The sci-fi drama is set in outer space and is being billed as a 10 episode event series for the streaming service. Matt Charman (Bridge of Spies) is writing the pilot and also working as an executive producer on the pilot, while Kevin MacDonald (The Last King of Scotland) will work behind the camera as director on the episode. Producer duties will also be taken up by Andy Harries (Strike Back) and Lila Rawlings of Left Bank Productions, according to TVLine.
The pilot, and eventual show if it receives a series order from Amazon, is being based on the 2014 science fiction novel The Book of Strange New Things by Dutch-born author Michel Faber. The story centers on Peter Leigh, an English pastor who decides to leave his wife Beatrice behind on Earth to work as a missionary on a distant planet known as Oasis. He's been hired by a private corporation to preach and teach the native inhabitants about Christianity, and expects to be met with hostility, but finds, upon his arrival, that they are very welcoming, already speak English and are even devotees of Christianity already. The story then focuses on his trials as he works with the native population and also yearns for his wife back home, as she reports on the natural disasters that seem to be plaguing the planet since Peter left Earth. The Book of Strange New Things was widely praised by critics, including those from i09, The Guardian, New York Times and NPR.
While Richard Madden ended his three season run on Game of Thrones in 2013, the actor has kept busy in the past three years. The former Robb Stark has appeared in a number of film and TV projects since his time on the show. He's worked on A Promise, the TV mini-series Klondike, Medici: Masters of Florence, Bastille Day, Lady Chatterley's Lover, and the big screen, live action remake of Cinderella. Strange New Things is his most recent project.
The actor who brought the earnest, likeable, hard-working and well-meaning Robb Stark to life sounds like the perfect man to play a missionary on a strange planet. Richard Madden is always a pleasure to watch work, so I'm sure he'll make Strange New Things a show to look out for on Amazon. There's no word yet on when the pilot will air, but it's likely that it will hit the streaming service next year during pilot season.
