Amazon Sci-Fi Series Lightyears Casts A Young J.K. Simmons

The last time audiences had the pleasure of witnessing a high concept sci-fi series starring J.K. Simmons, the result was the phenomenal Counterpart, which ran for an all-too-brief 20 episodes on Starz between December 2017 and February 2019.

That show saw the Academy Award winner pulling double duty as two versions of the same character from parallel realities, but his next outing in the genre has now cast a younger actor to play Simmons from the ages of 21 to 30. As per Deadline, Lowrey Brown has boarded Amazon’s Lightyears, with Lily Cardone also signing on to play the more youthful iteration of Simmon’s fellow Oscar-winning co-star Sissy Spacek.

Created by Holden Miller, the heady premise sees the veteran leads as Franklin and Irene York, a couple who discovered a secret chamber buried in their backyard that leads to a mysterious, unexplainable and completely deserted planet. They’ve spent decades keeping it quiet, but the arrival of an enigmatic young man on the scene leads to a series of shocking revelations with seismic consequences.

Lightyears will unfold over two distinct time periods, following the Franklins as newlyweds discovering their home’s unlisted addition while cutting back and forth to the present day, in what has the potential to be must-see viewing for sci-fi fans whenever the finished product premieres on Prime Video.