Futuristic thrillers haven't been kind to Ewan McGregor. Hey, I liked it but The Island was one of Hollywood's biggest ever flops. But Ewan isn't giving up on the near future. He's trying it again by signing up to star in Franklyn.

Production Weekly says the movie comes from first timer George McMorrow and it's being shot in McGregor's native UK. It's set both in modern London and in a future version where the dividing line between church and state has vanished. And they call that future England the United States of America.

The film follows four people: Preest, a masked vigilante detective searching for his nemesis. Esser, a broken man looking for his lost son among the city's homeless. Milo, a lovesick thirty-something trying to recapture his first love. Emilia, a student engaged in suicidal art projects. Taking a page from Bable, they're all set on a collision course where their fates will be decided by a single bullet.

Next up for Ewan Kenobi is the Renee Zellweger Beatrix Potter biopic Miss Potter, due in theaters this December for awards consideration.