Jake Gyllenhaal will star in Life, Skydance’s sci-fi project that is being directed by Daniel Espinosa. Ryan Reynolds was to have starred in the project opposite Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation breakout Rebecca Ferguson but the Deadpool star has a conflict with his newest movie, the action thriller Hitman’s Bodyguard. Instead, Reynolds will take a smaller role.

The story follows the crew of the International Space Station, who, after retrieving a sample from Mars, discover that it displays signs of life, and proves to be more intelligent than expected.

Gyllenhaal has the Tom Ford drama Nocturnal Animals in which he stars opposite Amy Adams opening this fall. He will also shoot Lionsgate’s Boston Marathon bombing drama Stronger, which he is also producing.

He next stars in Jean-Marc Vallee’s Demolition, which opens April 8.

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