Sam Neill is returning to television, as he has been cast in the new FOX drama series ‘Alcatraz,’ Slashfilm.com is reporting. The show is being produced by Warner Bros. TV, Abrams’ Bad Robot production company and showrunner Liz Sarnoff. It follows a police officer, played by Sarah Jones, who along with an FBI team, tracks down prisoners and guards who disappeared while Alcatraz was still open. The missing are just now reappearing.

In the pilot episode, which was written by Sarnoff, viewers will also be introduced to Neill’s character, Emerson Hauser. He is described as “the head of a government agency who radiates authority and piercing intelligence.” Abrams will be reuniting with ‘Lost’ star Jorge Garcia, who will play an Alcatraz historian/expert, and ‘Fringe’ star Jason Butler Harner, who will play associate warden E.B. Tiller. Jonny Coyne will portray Alcatraz warden Edwin James.

Written by: Karen Benardello

Alcatraz