JK Simmons to star in Amazon's sci-fi series Lightyears opposite Sissy Spacek

Veteran actor JK Simmons has been roped in to star opposite Sissy Spacek in Amazon's upcoming sci-fi series Lightyears.

With the news, Simmons replaces actor Ed O'Neill, who was initially roped in to play the lead role. O'Neill had to exit the project due to personal reasons.

According to Variety, Holden Miller is the writer and co-executive producer on the show, with Daniel C Connolly on board as showrunner and executive producer. Jimmy Miller and Sam Hansen also executive produce along with Martin. The series will be directed by Philip Martin.

Lightyears follows Irene (Spacek) and Franklin (Simmons) York, a couple who years ago discovered a chamber buried in their backyard which inexplicably leads to a strange, deserted planet.

The plotline of the series goes on to state that the couple manages to carefully guard their secret ever since, but when an enigmatic young man enters their lives, the Yorks' quiet existence is quickly upended and the mysterious chamber they thought they knew so well turns out to be much more than they could ever have imagined.

Lightyears is a co-production between Amazon Studios and Legendary Television.