It was back in May that we heard about the film adaptation of the seventies television series UFO which featured a group called SHADO (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defense Organization), hidden beneath a film studio, who flew regular missions to intercept and destroy alien ships who were intent on kidnapping and killing humans for their own purposes.

Then in July we heard that there was a director on board, Matthew Gratzner, and that Ryan Gaudet and Joseph Kanarek had written the script for it. Now news the first casting choice has been made on the film.

Joshua Jackson, who so far has been successfully playing his Dawson's Creek character in the television series Fringe, has been cast as Paul Foster, a test pilot who joins the organisation to battle the alien invasion.

Although there's little else to the casting announcement, Variety have a little quote from the director of the remake, Matthew Gratzner, that sounds rather promising:

”Character development is the most critical part of UFO and Joshua's terrific talent and range is exactly what I need to convey the inner conflict of the character of Paul Foster...”

Okay, I'm not sure about terrific talent, and I still remain to be convinced if he can truly shake off that Pacey character – who, it has to be said, works really well in Fringe – but perhaps this is a film that could do just that, and help push him further into the limelight.

What do you think of the remake of UFO, is it a film that would work? If the concentration is on the characters then I think it could well do. The comparisons can be made very easily with other science fiction television reworks that have, and are, turning out well right now.