Prisoners director Denis Villeneuve has been hired to helm the sci-fi adaptation Story of Your Life.

Based on a Ted Chiang's short story, the screenplay is set in a time when aliens have starting landing in different locations around the globe. It centers on a master linguist, who is recruited by the U.S. military to find out what the alien beings are doing on earth. She learns to communicate with the aliens by experiencing flashbacks that are the key to unlocking the mystery behind their true purpose for visiting our planet.

Denis Villeneuve will direct from a script by Hours scribe Eric Heisserer. The film is being produced 21 Laps, FilmNation and Lava Bear. No casting details have been announced. They are expected to begin shooting later this year.