Copley signs up for more sci-fi

Everybody’s favourite Prawn-hating South African Sharlto Copley is in talks to star in another sci-fi flick.

Entitled I Am Four , the film is based on a book by James Frey and Jobie Hughes, and follows a group of nine aliens who are hiding out on Earth as teenagers to evade a rival species who want them dead.

As previously reported , our very own Alex Pettyfer is taking the titular role of Four, one of the high school humanoids.

According to Heat Vision , Copley will shoulder the role of “a man who hailed from the alien world’s serving class but now is the title character’s adult guardian and mentor”.

Basically, we can expect Copley to be masquerading as Pettyfer's papa, no doubt with his uniquely dry sense of humour and bullseye line delivery. We wonder how much improv he'll be allowed to do this time around.

Scribbled by Smallville ’s Al Gough and Miles Millar, the script could set up a possible franchise – the original novel is planned as a series of six books, out this autumn.

Eagle Eye ’s D J Caruso is directing, with Steven Spielberg and Michael Bay producing. Catch Copley this year in the new A-Team flick .

Fancy more Sharlto-flavoured sci-fi?

Josh Winning has worn a lot of hats over the years. Contributing Editor at Total Film, writer for SFX, and senior film writer at the Radio Times. Josh has also penned a novel about mysteries and monsters, is the co-host of a movie podcast, and has a library of pretty phenomenal stories from visiting some of the biggest TV and film sets in the world. He would also like you to know that he "lives for cat videos..." Don't we all, Josh. Don't we all.