‘Earth Abides’: Aaron Tveit Joins New MGM+ Sci-Fi Series!!

Screen and stage star Aaron Tveit, most recently seen on Apple TV+‘s Schmigadoon!, has joined the cast of MGM+‘s Earth Abides. He will star alongside Alexander Ludwig and Jessica Frances Dukes in the miniseries adaptation of the classic science fiction novel. Tveit will play Charlie, the handsome and charismatic leader of a band of travelers on a post-apocalyptic Earth.

Tveit, Ludwig, and Dukes will be joined by a number of supporting cast members, whose casting and roles as fellow survivors were also announced today. Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll (Son of a Critch) will play civil engineer Jorge; Elyse Levesque (The Originals) will portray the troubled, wealthy Maurine; Luisa D’Oliveira (The 100) will play Molly, a doctor; Birkett Turton (iZombie) will star as Ezra, a former music club owner; Hilary McCormack (Killjoys), will play Jean, a singer and recovering addict; and Jenna Burman (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) will play Evie, a young autistic woman. They will all attempt to find their way in a post-catastrophe Earth as they encounter main characters Ish (Ludwig) and Emma (Dukes). The series is set to debut on MGM+ later this year.

What Is ‘Earth Abides’ About?

Written by George R. Stewart in 1949, Earth Abides takes place on an Earth that has been ravaged by a deadly, measles-like disease that wiped out most of its population. A small handful of survivors must crawl from the wreckage and attempt to rebuild civilization. The story takes place over decades, and details the history of a small community founded by graduate student Ish and his wife, Emma; Ish is white and Emma is Black, which was controversial at the time of the book’s publication. It won the first-ever International Fantasy Award, and is considered a classic of 20th-century science fiction. The book is considered a founding document of post-apocalyptic literature and was cited by Stephen King as a strong influence on his own post-pandemic magnum opus, The Stand. The upcoming MGM+ series will be the first screen adaptation of the book, although it was adapted for radio in 1950 with character actor John Dehner.

Earth Abides is written and showrun by Todd Komarnicki (Sully). It is executive produced by Kearie Peak, Michael Phillips, and Juliana Maio. Additional writers include Karen Janszen, Tony Spiridakis, Evan Hart, and Kyle Stephen. Bronwen Hughes (Better Call Saul) is set to direct the first two episodes, including the pilot. Rachel Leiterman (You) will direct the subsequent two episodes, and Stephen Campanelli (Grand Isle) will direct the final two.