Colin Firth will star in a thriller set in the morally murky world of military drones for the Ender's Game director, Gavin Hood, reports Screen.

Guy Hibbert, the writer of Channel 4 series Complicit, has penned the screenplay for Eye in the Sky, which will seek funding at the upcoming Cannes film festival. His script follows a military intelligence officer charged with remotely commanding a top-secret drone operation to capture a group of terrorists from their safe-house in Nairobi. Downfall's Oliver Hirschbiegel was previously attached to take charge of the cameras. Firth's own Raindog Films is part of the production set up for the current take.

"The use of unmanned aircraft in modern warfare and in the so-called 'war on terror' poses critical questions for us all," said Firth. "Raindog was launched with the hope of making challenging, thoughtful films, and I'm pleased to be a part of an exploration into such a crucial issue."

Producers hope to begin shooting in Hood's native South Africa on 11 August.