Lena Headey lines up another major TV role after ‘Game of Thrones’

Cersei Lannister is back. Or more accurately Lena Headey, the actor who played the famous Game of Thrones character, is back in a brand new TV role. And from the sounds of things, this part could be just as memorable.

According to Deadline, Headey has inked a deal to star and produce in the upcoming TV adaptation of Beacon 23, based on the 2015 sci-fi novel by Hugh Howey that tracks the men and women who man lighthouses (a.k.a. beacons) in 23^rd century space. Headey will play Aster, a mysterious woman who runs into a lonely beacon-keeper named Halan, who has yet to be cast. The story tracks their relationship as Halan tries to figure out Aster’s true motives after they become trapped together at the remote end of the known universe.

Sounds like there could be a strong battle of the wills going on, which is obviously something Headey has a lot of experience with from her role on Thrones. Creator Zak Penn (Ready Player One) definitely had her in mind when he was developing the series for streaming service Spectrum, at any rate. “We had exactly one person in mind when thinking about who could play Aster – who could bring the strength, the vulnerability and the brilliance to Zak’s complex character? No one but Lena Headey,” said Katherine Pope, Head of Spectrum Originals in a statement. “We couldn’t be more excited to go on this thrill ride with Lena and Zak leading the way.”

Beacon 23 was first ordered to series back in November, but it’s not clear when production will start. When it’s ready, the series will air on Spectrum for nine months before it moves to AMC Networks. At time of press no Canadian channels have picked it up, but Headey’s casting may sway the minds of decision-makers. After all, she did earn five primetime Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe nod during her eight-season run as Cersei.

“Lena Headey was a wonderful, versatile actress before she gave one of the defining performances in television history. So, as they say, ‘no pressure,'” Penn also said in a statement. “I’m thankful to all the people making this show possible, they just keep delivering beyond my expectations.”

Since her time on Thrones ended Headey has been keeping pretty busy. Back in 2019, she was cast as the lead in Showtime’s upcoming American remake of the Danish dramedy Rita, in which she will play the title character—a teacher and single mom. Josh Hutcherson, Curtiss Cook, Darren Pettie and Bryce Gangel also star, and Headey also produces.

While fans wait for more news on that project and when it will debut, Headey has also been doing some big screen and voice work. Earlier this year she finished filming on Gunpowder Milkshake, a film in which a secret sisterhood helps out a mother-daughter assassin team. Angela Bassett, Carla Gugino and Karen Gillan also star. And more recently Headey also wrapped production on Gypsy Moon, a thriller in which a burlesque dancer goes on the run in order to save a little boy.

On the voice work side of things, Headey has also been busy with the upcoming animated Netflix adaptation of Masters of the Universe: Revelation, in which she plays He-Man nemesis Evil-Lyn. Chris Wood voices He-Man in that star-studded project, with Mark Hamill on board as Skeletor, Sarah Michelle Gellar playing Teela, fellow GOT alum Liam Cunningham mastering Man-At-Arms, and Justin Long voicing Roboto.

Since wrapping Game of Thrones in 2019 Headey has also lent her talents to series like The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Wizard, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Infinity Train, and New-Gen. Fans can catch her next in this year’s unspecified release of Twist, a modern take on Oliver Twist.

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