Riddick star Vin Diesel is attached to star in and produce the sci-fi thriller Soldiers of the Sun, which Universal Pictures is eyeing as a possible franchise.

Arash Amel (Grace of Monaco, Erased) wrote the screenplay, which is set in a post-apocalyptic landscape during a war with alien creatures known as Orcs. The story centers on a group of soldiers on a tour of duty in Mexico, who search for a lost city of gold between battles.

Lorenzo di Bonaventura is producing alongside Vin Diesel and his One Race Films partner Samantha Vincent, with Jeff Kirschenbaum and Jay Polidoro overseeing the project for Universal.

No production schedule was given at this time. Vin Diesel is about to start shooting Fast & Furious 7 in the near future, and then he will move directly to Summit Entertainment's The Last Witch Hunter with Paul Walker, Jason Statham and Ronda Rousey. He is also voicing the role of Groot in Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy, which is currently in production.