Colin Firth to Star in Gavin Hood's Drone Thriller 'Eye in the Sky'

Colin Firth isn't exactly the actor one would think of as an action star, but he does seem to be embracing that role of late. He recently wrapped up a starring role in Matthew Vaughn's comic book adaptation The Secret Service, and while he'll go into familiar dramedy territory in Woody Allen's Magic in the Moonlight, a return to action will follow. Firth is set to star and produce Eye in the Sky, a military thriller that has just landed a director in Gavin Hood.

Hood, who last helmed Ender's Game, will direct the film which features a script by Guy Hibbert that "centers on London-based military intelligence officer Colonel Michelle Madden who is remotely commanding a top secret drone operation that aims to capture a group of terrorists in Nairobi. The mission suddenly escalates from a “capture” to a “kill” operation when she realizes the targets are about to embark on a suicide mission, which would result in the deaths of many innocent civilians. Meanwhile, American drone pilot Steve Watts is poised to destroy the safe-house when a nine-year-old-girl enters the kill zone." Firth would presumably play the American pilot.

Filming is set to begin in August so we should see it some time next year.