Game of Thrones was filled with excellent performers, but it goes without saying that one of the biggest standout actors to ever grace the series was Peter Dinklage, who played the cynical dwarf Tyrion Lannister to perfection across all eight seasons. Dinklage has appeared in plenty of shows and movies since then, but his latest casting announcement feels extra exciting.
Deadline has confirmed that Dinklage is joining the cast of Alien: Earth for its second season. What's more, he will reportedly have a recurring role on the show, meaning that he's likely to be a substantial part of this next installment.
The first season of Noah Hawley's Alien series had a very strong cast that included the likes of Sydney Chandler, Babou Ceesay, Timothy Olyphant, Samuel Blenkin and more. I have a feeling Dinklage is going to fit right into this series and its brutal sci-fi world, where the iconic xenomorph and four other horrifying creatures from the depths of space are gradually staking their claim on the human home world.
Who does Peter Dinklage play in Alien: Earth season 2?
The big question of course is who Dinklage is playing in the series. While Deadline didn't have that information quite yet, the setting of the series at large could provide some clues. Alien: Earth is set roughly two years before Ridley Scott's seminal 1979 film, and explores the corporate power struggle between five massive companies which have seized de facto rule of the planet. We already met the heads of two of them: Boy Kavalier (Blenkin), who runs Prodigy, and Ms. Yutani (Sandra Yi Sencindiver), who runs Weyland-Yutani, the main corporation of the Alien films.
That leaves three companies unnaccounted for: Lynch, Dynamic, and Threshold. While Dinklage could be playing a scientist or some other role, my money is on a person of power within one of the three remaining corporations. It's would perfectly suit his strengths as an actor, providing opportunities for verbal sparring with other intelligent corporate heads and scenes perfect for subtle expression.
No doubt we'll find out more in the coming months. Alien: Earth season 2 is slated to begin production sometime in May at Pinewood Studios in London, which is where the original 1979 movie, Alien 3 (1992), and Prometheus (2012) were all shot. Dinklage is the first major casting for this second season, and if it's any sort of indication of the level of talent that's joining the show's already stacked cast, it bodes well.
For now, we watch for more news, and we wait. The first season of Alien: Earth is available to stream on Hulu or Disney+. If you're itching to revisit the movies, they've just been released on HBO Max.