NBC has announced thatErnie Hudsonhas been cast in a leading role for their upcomingQuantum Leappilot, a reboot of the 90s sci-fi series of the same name.Deadlinereports that Hudson will lead oppositeRaymond Leein the one-hour pilot as Herbert “Magic” Williams, a Vietnam veteran that is heading up the time travel project known as Quantum Leap.
It has been 30 years since the original series andScott Bakula’s character, Dr. Sam Beckett, stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and disappeared into the past. Now, a new team has been brought together to restart the decades-old project to try and figure out the truth behind the machine. After Lee’s character, renowned physicist Dr. Ben Seong, previously described as a man of “both science and faith,” steps into Quantum Leap accelerator and is sent to the 1980s with amnesia, Williams uses his military rank and some politicking to keep the Pentagon away from the project long enough to rescue Ben.
The originalQuantum Leapaired for five seasons from 1989 to 1993 on NBC, spanning ninety-seven episodes, and is a much-beloved cult classic. The series followed Beckett on his journeys to the past, where he would “leap” into people in order to correct past events, all in an attempt to return to his time. During its five-season run, the series won seventeen awards, including multiple Golden Globes and Primetime Emmys. The series won the Emmy for Outstanding Cinematography for a Series in 1989, 1990, and 1991.
RELATED:‘Quantum Leap’ Reboot Taps Helen Shaver to Direct Pilot
Along with this role, Hudson recently reprised his role as Winston Zeddemore in 2021’sGhostbusters: Afterlifeand played Jacob in the comedy seriesGrace and Frankie. Hudson both executive produces and stars in the BET seriesThe Family Businessand is also set to be in the upcoming third season of Showtime’sCity on the Hill. He is also starring oppositeWoody HarrelsoninBobby Farrelly’sChampions,which is currently in post-production.
Steven LilienandBryan Wynbrandtserve as writers on the reboot pilot, as well as executive producers alongside original series creatorDon Bellisariothrough his Belisarius Productions, andDeborah Pratt, who voiced Ziggy the A.I. in the original series, and Quinn’s House Productions’Martin Gero.
