Spielberg casts Anglo-Indian actress in new TV series

Conn, who has done small roles in shows like n 'Casualty', 'Mersey Beat' and 'Mistresses', has been cast opposite 'Avatar' star Stephen Lang and Irish actor James O'Mara, for the 13 part series.

Conn is the great niece of British actress Merle Oberon, who was of Welsh-Indian origin, who starred in 'The Dark Angel' (1935), 'These Three' (1936), 'Over the Moon (1939)' and 'Wuthering Heights'.

Conn plays Elizabeth Shannon, who along with her husband and three children, is battling for survival in 2149 where humans are on the brink of extinction, the Daily Mail reported.

The planet is overdeveloped, overcrowded and overpolluted leaving mankind in a perilous position so a team of scientists create a portal to the past and select a number of people to send through.

The Shannon family are chosen to be transported back 100 million years to prehistoric times to join the Terra Nova colony of people who have been given a second chance to re-build civilisation.

Conn, 34, who lives in London with actor boyfriend Jonathan Kerrigan, will begin filming the show this month in Australia. 'Terra Nova' is being considered Spielberg's biggest TV show to date and uses some ideas from his 1990s blockbuster 'Jurassic Park'.

The Oscar-winning filmmaker, known for his sci-fi classics like 'E.T.' and 'Jurassic Park', will use state-of-the-art technology similar to those used in James Cameron's blockbuster film 'Avatar'.

The dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals make a comeback in the series. The show is expected to air by the end of 2011.