Halle Berry Signs On For Steven Spielberg's CBS Drama 'Extant'

It’s one small screen for Halle Berry, but one giant leap for television dramas.

The Academy Award winner signed on to star in the Steven Spielberg produced series, “Extant,” CBS announced Friday.

Berry -- who returns as a television regular for the first time since a 1991 run on “Knots Landing” -- will play an astronaut who returns to Earth after a year-long solo-mission in space and has trouble reconnecting with her husband and son.

This being a Spielberg-approved storyline, there is also a deeper mystery that the logline promises “will change human history.”

For Berry, who is considered one of Hollywood’s biggest marquee names, it’s a major career transition.

“For five months a year I'll get to live with and play this incredibly intelligent and vulnerable woman, and for the remainder of the year I'll continue to look for other roles that move me as deeply as this one," said Halle Berry in a statement.

For CBS, it’s a major casting coup at a time when cable networks have been dominating the battle for the hearts and minds of TV viewers with award-winning dramas like AMC’s “Breaking Bad,” Showtime’s “Homeland” and HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”

To sweeten the deal, the network also entered into a two-year, first-look production deal with Berry and her producing partner Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas.

"There's only one Halle Berry and we are incredibly honored that she has chosen ‘Extant’ to expand her illustrious career," said Steven Spielberg.

"As she does with everything she touches, she will bring a deep authenticity to her role and I very much look forward to working with her."

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