Wolfgang Petersen (“Das Boot,” “Air Force One”) has signed on to direct the sci-fi thriller “Uprising” for Columbia Pictures, according to Variety. Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher (“Gladiator”) will produce through their Red Wagon production company.

Story centers on the resistance efforts of citizens after Earth has been occupied by a powerful alien race. Charles Leavitt (“Blood Diamond”) is writing the screenplay.

“[Wolfgang Petersen is] just the right director to handle ‘Uprising’s’ mix of action, suspense and drama,” said Columbia president Doug Belgrad.

Petersen has an impressive list of films to his credit besides those listed above. Some of his other works include “Enemy Mine” starring Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett Jr., “Poseidon” with Kurt Russell, Brad Pitt in “Troy” and George Clooney’s massive hit “The Perfect Storm.”

Petersen is currently in pre-production with the film adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s action sci-fi hit novel “Ender’s Game,” for which Card has written the screenplay.