Variety are reporting that Disney have picked up new sci-fi adventure film, The Runner, for Marc Forster to direct.

The film was originally imagined as a project for TV by Dave Andron, who created the reboot of Knight Rider, before its cancellation in 2009. With this in mind, Variety say the film is currently in development to appear not just as a film, but also a TV show, a video game, a graphic novel, and also apps for mobile phones.

After the saturated advertising campaign (which I must admit, I enjoyed) and the following successes of Tron: Legacy, it seems plausible to expect something of a similar nature for The Runner with its launch across such a wide variety of platforms.

Marc Forster will be well known by many for his directing role in the last Bond film, Quantum Of Solace, and slightly lesser-known films like Monster’s Ball, Finding Neverland, and (my personal favourite amongst his résumé) Stranger Than Fiction. He has recently finished filming Machine Gun Preacher, starring Gerard Butler and Michelle Monaghan, which should be released towards the end of this year. With all his previous films proving his ability to direct across a broad range of genres, I look forward to seeing what he will make of this new project.

Deadline have reported a little more of the plot line than Variety’s initial article:

“In the year 2027, Earth’s surface has been rendered uninhabitable due to a devastating attack. A group of survivors living in the Rocky Mountains have discovered a way to send a man back in time. While the volunteer departs under the guise of trying to stop the devastating attack, he has an ulterior motive: to save the love of his life.”

It’s still early days for the film, so unfortunately no casting news to report yet. Given their last big-budget sci-fi film, Tron: Legacy, cast Garrett Hedlund for the lead role, despite not then being a particularly recognisable face, a part of me hopes that they’ll go the same way with The Runner. Having said that, with Andron currently working as a supervisor producer for the TV show, Justified, I could definitely see someone like Timothy Olyphant being perfect for a role like this. We’ll keep you updated as soon as there’s any more news to report.