Saoirse Ronan in Negotiations to Star in Disney's 'Order of the Seven'

Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

Saoirse Ronan is in early negotiations to star in Disney’s Order of the Seven, an action-adventure movie set in China.

our editor recommends

'Hanna's' Saoirse Ronan to Star in 'How I Live Now'

Saoirse Ronan: 5 Things to Know

Commercials director and visual effects wizard Michael Gracey is directing the epic, which has a long development history — it was originally conceived as a revisionist East-meets-West Snow White tale.

In this iteration, the seven are a 19th century-set disparate band of international warriors belonging to a centuries-old order who have lost their way. They meet with an Englishwoman (Ronan) who is being chased by an ancient evil, and she proves to be the catalyst for their redemption.

PHOTOS: Hollywood's New Leading Ladies

While the project is set in China, the warriors will be from locales near (the U.S.) and far (Russia), and each warrior will have a unique fighting style.

Natalie Portman was loosely attached to star in the project when Francis Lawrence was on board as director and the Snow White elements were more emphasized.

Andrew Gunn is producing.

Seven puts Ronan, one of the more accomplished young actresses of her generation, back in action territory. Last year, she starred as an assassin in Joe Wright’s Hanna. She is best known for her work in Atonement and The Lovely Bones and this spring will shoot The Host, Andrew Niccol’s adaptation of a Stephenie Meyer sci-fi novel.