Lena Headey to headline psychological thriller series 'Beacon 23'

Headey will back the show via her Peephole Productions, as part of her first-look deal Boat Rocker Studios, which co-produces "Beacon 23" with Spectrum Originals. 

The suspenseful thriller follows two people, Halan and Aster (Headey) whose fates become entangled after they find themselves trapped together at the end of the known universe. Aster mysteriously finds her way to a lonely beacon keeper, Halan, on his lighthouse in the darkest recesses of space. 

A tense battle of wills unfolds as Halan begins to question whether Aster is friend or foe as her ability to disguise her agenda and motives could make her a formidable opponent. 

Katherine Pope, Head of Spectrum Originals, said Headey was perfect to play Aster. 

"We had exactly one person in mind when thinking about who could play Aster - who could bring the strength, the vulnerability and the brilliance to Zak's complex character? No one but Lena Headey. We couldn't be more excited to go on this thrill ride with Lena and Zak leading the way," Pope said. 

Penn, who also serves as showrunner on the series, said Headey was already a versatile actor before she gave "one of the defining performances in television history" as Cersei Lannister on the HBO show "Game of Thrones". 

"So, as they say, ''no pressure''. I'm thankful to all the people making this show possible, they just keep delivering beyond my expectations," he said. 

Dan McDermott, president of original programming for AMC Networks Entertainment Group and co-president of AMC Studios, said having Headey on board "elevates" the series in every way. 

"Having known and worked with Lena the past few years my admiration for her inspiring talent is unending. I'm so thrilled that Lena embraced the role of Aster and equally happy she'll be executive producing through her production company Peephole," added O'Connell Marsh, vice-chairperson, Boat Rocker Studios. 

"Beacon 23" will have a nine-month exclusive run for Spectrum before becoming an AMC original with a second window across AMC Networks platforms. 

Headey will next be seen in films like "9 Bullets" and "Gunpowder Milkshake".