Oscar-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen has signed an overall deal with Amazon Studios and will produce a sci-fi series titled Last Days for the streaming service, it was announced Tuesday.

Last Days is described as a gripping sci-fi thriller in which the world’s governments have secretly created a controversial plan to selectively colonize Mars in the wake of a dying Earth and the rise of AI. The series will follow one woman’s journey to explore the truth about where she came from, at the risk of losing everything she knows. "It's not as dystopian as you'd think, said Amazon Studios boss Jennifer Salke, who said there's a twist to the series.

McQueen's Lammas Park banner will produce alongside Brit powerhouse See-Saw Films. “I’m thrilled about this new venture and partnership with Amazon. The idea of having a partner that will support and facilitate risk and change is more than exciting,” said McQueen, who won an Oscar as a producer on 12 Years a Slave, which also saw him nominated for Best Director.

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Image via Fox Searchlight

McQueen is already in business with Amazon on the upcoming drama Small Axe starring John Boyega and Letitia Wright, which will premiere on Prime Video later this year. The six-part anthology series brings to life the experiences of London’s West Indian community.

“The award-winning talents of Steve McQueen seem to be endless, with his unique ability to craft stories that provoke, educate and entertain. With the compelling Last Days already in development, we are excited to see what else McQueen creates for our global Amazon Prime Video customers," Salke said in a statement.

McQueen made a name for himself -- and Michael Fassbender -- with his searing drama Hunger, and commanded attention with his NC-17 sex addiction drama Shame, also starring Fassbender. They worked together once again on 12 Years a Slave, which won Best Picture over films such as Gravity. He most recently directed the solid crime film Widows starring Viola Davis, Cynthia Erivo, Elizabeth Debicki and Michelle Rodriguez.

The idea of McQueen doing a sci-fi series with something to say is exciting, and so is the prospect of Fassbender joining him. After all, if anyone could convince the two-time Oscar nominee to commit to a prestige TV series, it would be McQueen. And Fassbender has actually thrived doing sci-fi in space, as his performance as David in the most recent Alien movies was very well-received, For a list of the best sci-fi movies of 2019, click here.