Parker Posey in new 'Lost in Space' Trailer: The Future is Female

You’re not ready for Parker Posey in the new Lost in Space. “One thing you’ll learn about me, I can handle myself,” she says in the latest trailer for Lost in Space. Posey plays the morally ambiguous Dr. Smith in the new show, out on Friday. It’s a role that has been played by men in past iterations. But now, Netflix’s reboot of the Sixties sci-fi classic showcases women doctors, scientists, and other experts.

Lost in Space was an upbeat and kitchy CBS show that followed the misadventures of the Robinson family after they lost their way in a neighboring star system. The series ran between 1965 and 1968 and starred Jonathan Harris as the original Dr. Smith, a character that would later be played by Gary Oldman in the 1998 film. Netflix recast the role as an edgier, seemingly more complex Posey, in what has been billed as a much darker version of the original series.

“It’s great to be able to play someone who survives by her own wits and takes chances,” Posey said on Netflix’s latest featurette. Posey isn’t the only woman on board that promises a strong arc. Maureen Robinson, played by Molly Parker, is not only the head of the family but a rocket scientist, creating layers of conflict for the character.

“She’s brilliant and she’s driven, but she’s not a superhero,” Showrunner Zack Estin explains in the featurette. The family also includes Judy Robinson, played by Taylor Russell, an 18-year-old doctor who hones her medical chops, as well as Penny, played by Mina Sundwall, an aspiring writer.

The first season of the Netflix reboot will include 10 episodes, premiering April 13. The dark reimagining of the TV show is expected to break from nostalgia not just in casting but in its dynamic characters, which is expected to be a modern survivalist story.

“It’s okay to know who you are […] and be that, fiercely,” Russell says of her character on the show. “And not let anyone tell you anything else.” If this featurette is an indication of how Netflix will recenter its lens, Lost in Space will be a mission driven by women.