Ridley Scott to helm 'Forever War'

Ridley Scott will direct an adaptation of Joe Haldeman’s 1974 novel The Forever War.

The project marks the British filmmaker's return to the science fiction genre. He previously helmed Alien in 1979 and Blade Runner in 1982.

The Forever War focuses on a soldier who fights an alien foe in outer space for several months and returns home to find 20 years have passed on Earth.

Scott told Variety: "I first pursued Forever War 25 years ago, and the book has only grown more timely and relevant since. It's a science-fiction epic, a bit of The Odyssey by way of Blade Runner, built upon a brilliant, disorienting premise."

Scott has spent two decades trying to secure the movie rights from special effects guru Richard Edlund, who picked up the option for the story after publication and intended to make it his directorial debut.