Sean Penn’s First TV Role Will Be In Hulu’s Prestige Drama “The First”

After its library of original shows earned ten awards at this past weekend’s Emmy Awards — with acclaimed drama The Handmaid’s Tale taking home most of the hardware — Hulu is looking to keep its momentum going. It has announced that two-time Oscar winner Sean Penn will star in The First, an upcoming sci-fi drama from  Beau Willimon.

The First, which Hulu discussed during its most recent NewFronts presentation, will follow a group of astronauts as they make the first-ever manned journey to Mars. The show will examine the lives of the astronauts in space as well as those of their families back on Earth. Penn’s role in the series has not yet been revealed.

Willimon, a noted writer of stage and screen, has an important place in digital media history. He was the original creator of the Kevin Spacey 

vehicle House of Cards, which served as one of the first great original series to be distributed through an SVOD platform when it premiered on Netflix back in 2013. Now, Willimon is bringing his vision to Hulu, where he will work with more big names. “I have such deep admiration for Sean’s immense talent and extraordinary body of work,” said Willimon in a press release. “I feel very lucky to be collaborating with an artist of his caliber.”

The First is a co-production of Hulu and British broadcaster Channel 4, which will air the series in the UK. A release date has not yet been announced.