Netflix’s reboot of the 1960s sci-fi/horror TV show Lost in Space just became more intriguing. News of another reboot, revival, or whatever you want to call it, of an old TV show or movie trying to capitalized on nostalgia and a familiar brand name wasn’t greeted with a terribly enthusiastic response. But after news of which actor the production has cast as the sniveling, manipulative, villainous Dr. Smith, this reboot might be worth watching, after all.
As reported by Deadline, Parker Posey (Dazed and Confused, Blade: Trinity) has been cast as Smith, a potentially clever twist on a familiar character and an apparent attempt to try and do something different with this new version of Lost in Space.
On the original show, Dr. Smith sabotaged a space exploration mission by the Robinson family, but ended up going adrift on the spacecraft as well. Played by Jonathan Harris, Smith was initially intended to be a truly evil character, but the actor made him more whiny, goofy and over-the-top as the show progressed. That resulted in frequent screams of terror on the series, for which Dr. Smith may be most well remembered.
Gary Oldman played Dr. Smith in the horrible 1998 film starring William Hurt, Heather Graham and Matt LeBlanc. In that big-screen version, Smith leaned closer to the original evil roots of the character, sabotaging the Robinsons’ mission and knocking them far off course, while not being trusted by anyone on board, notably LeBlanc’s Major Don West.
But Smith also ends up mutating into a spider-like creature after being infected by aliens during an attack. In what becomes a convoluted time-travel storyline (the movie should have been called “Lost in Time” or “Lost in Space: Lost in Time”), the mutated Smith wants to attack Earth with an army of his spider-alien buddies.
At the very least, let’s hope Posey doesn’t become a mutated spider creature who gets trapped in some warped time-travel scenario of which the filmmaker clearly lost control. Make Dr. Smith evil again. Have her lose control of her sanity as the Robinsons’ spaceship moves increasingly far from Earth and makes a return home less likely. And let Posey go unhinged. She did it so well, playing a campy, over-the-top villain in Blade: Trinity.
Posey becomes the most recognizable member and biggest name of the Lost in Space cast thus far, and a good choice to build the ensemble around. Toby Stephens (Black Sails) has been cast as John Robinson, Molly Parker (House of Cards) as Maureen Robinson, Taylor Russell (Falling Skies) as daughter Judy Robinson and Maxwell Jenkins (Sense8) as young Will Robinson. Show a photo of Posey and next to that famous robot, maybe release a teaser in which it says “Danger, Will Robinson!” and that’s some decent promotion for this new Netflix venture.
Lost in Space is currently set for a 2018 release with a first season of 10 episodes.
[Deadline]
