MGM+ Rescues Spectrum Originals Series Starring Lena Headey

MGM+ has saved a series that had seemingly been put on ice after the shutdown of Spectrum Originals. On Wednesday, it was announced that Beacon 23, a series starring Game of Thrones' Lena Headey and If Beale Street Could Talk's Stephan James, has been picked up and revived at MGM+. Beacon 23 had previously been renewed for a second season before the premiere of its first season in August of 2022, but its fate was unclear after Spectrum Originals closed entirely. Now, MGM+ has set a global release date of Sunday, November 12 at 9pm for the platform, with a two-episode premiere. This is the second Spectrum show to be revived at MGM+, after the platform already picked up Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce's A Spy Among Friends.

"Beacon 23 is a series in the best tradition of thought-provoking genre storytelling," said Michael Wright, head of MGM+. "With the incredible vision of Zak Penn and Glen Mazzara, riveting performances by Lena Headey and Stephan James, and an exciting world-building design, Beacon 23 is essential viewing for fans of premium science-fiction drama."

"We're delighted to bring Beacon 23 to MGM+ and introduce viewers to a world in the dark recesses of space where nothing is quite what it seems," said David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg, co-executive chairmen of Boat Rocker Media and co-chairmen of Boat Rocker Studios. "'Beacon 23' is a rare psychological thriller whose rich characters and gripping storylines take you to some pretty unexpected places. We're grateful to our creative partners for helping bring this epic story to life."

What Is Beacon 23 About?

Based on the 2015 book of the same name written by Hugh Howley, Beacon 23 takes place in the farthest reaches of the Milky Way and follows a government agent (Headey) and a former military man (James) who become trapped in one of many AI-controlled beacons. From creator Zak Penn (Ready Player One), the series is showrun and executive produced by Penn and Glen Mazzara (The Walking Dead) alongside David Fortier, Ivan Schneeberg, James Middleton, Nick Nantell, Tina Thor, Katie O'Connell Marsh, Elisa Ellis, Liz Varner, Ira Steven Behr, Daniel Percival, Joy Blake, Headey and James.

"The notion of a lighthouse in outer space grabbed me the second I looked at the cover of Hugh Howey's Beacon 23," Penn said in a statement when the series was first announced. "Once I read all the other pages, I knew I had a story I could translate to another medium. For the past two years, with Hugh's help and the generous indulgence of our wonderful partners at Spectrum Originals, Platform One Media and AMC, I've been able to assemble an incredible group of scientists, astronauts, and many of my ideal collaborators to help create an entire universe for this show. It's a very exciting project for me, and I'm glad to be working again with Ira Behr, one of the best minds in television, and definitely the best beard."

What do you think of this new update regarding Beacon 23? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!