Sean Penn to Star in Beau Willimon’s The First for Hulu

Academy Award-winning actor Sean Penn has joined Beau Willimon’s upcoming Hulu original drama series The First.

The project marks the acclaimed actor’s first foray into television. The First will follow the inaugural human mission to Mars exploring the challenges of taking the first steps toward interplanetary colonization. The story focuses not only on the astronauts but also on their families and loved ones, as well as the ground team on Earth.

Hulu and Channel 4 have given a straight-to-series order for the show, created by Willimon (House of Cards, Ides of March), who also serves as executive producer alongside his producing partner Jordan Tappis under their Westward Productions banner. The series will go into production this year and is slated to premiere on Hulu and Channel 4 in 2018.

“I have such deep admiration for Sean’s immense talent and extraordinary body of work,” said Willimon. “I feel very lucky to be collaborating with an artist of his caliber.”