Jean-Claude Van Damme Signs Up for British SciFi Thriller

LONDON – Jean-Claude Van Damme is to star in a British Sci-Fi movie which begins shooting in England this week.

The actor has signed up to play a retired military advisor in the movie, UFO, written and directed by Dominic Burns.

Produced by Andy Thompson, Tim Major and Simon Phillips under the trio’s Hawtorn Productions banner, the project is the first Burns has made as writer-director.

His directing CV already boasts Airborne, starring Mark Hamill and Colin Salmom.

Burns told BBC News he contacted Van Damme by emailing his wife and was “astonished when the star agreed to play the role.”

UFO also stars Bianca Bree in her first leading role, Sean Brosnan, Simon Phillips and is shooting in Derbyshire, England.

It details the story of five friends who wake up on a seemingly normal morning to find the power's out, there's no mobile phone reception and the radio can tune nothing but static. Two nights later with little more information a city-sized UFO appears above the town as tension and fear of attack grips the five.

The project’s producers said they do not have a distributor as yet but plan to have one in place in time for a 2012 release.