Paul Mescal and Saoirse Ronan to star in new film together

The actors will bring sci-fi thriller Foe to life as leading characters 

The new film marks Mescal's first role announcement since his BAFTA win. Picture: Scott Garfitt/Shutterstock.

Two of Ireland’s finest are set to star together in an upcoming blockbuster.

Paul Mescal and Saoirse Ronan have been cast in a new sci-fi thriller named Foe, which is based on the 2018 Iain Reid novel of the same name.

The actors will take on the leading roles of Junior and Hen, a young married couple who live in isolation on a farm - until their world is rocked by a mysterious stranger.

The psychological thriller takes place in the near future, where climate change is ravaging the world, and Mescal’s character is selected to leave earth for an experiment.

Ronan's character won't have a chance to miss him, however, as arrangements have been made to have her constantly watched.

The film will be a departure for the actors' normal roles. Picture: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

The film will be directed by Australian filmmaker Garth Davis of Lion and Top of the Lake and will also star LaKeith Stanfield among others yet to be announced.

“I read Foe and could not put it down. It’s incredibly suspenseful, very moving, and dealt with sci-fi in a most grounded way that spoke to where we are heading as a society, with a lot of the questions we all have explored in a profound way,” Davis recently told Deadline.

“And the love story just broke my heart, this story of self-determination, fighting for the things that are most precious in our lives, and reminding audiences that this time we have here is precious and the way we treat each other is the way we need to be treating the planet.”

The film marks Mescal's first big role announcement since winning a BAFTA for Normal People last week.

Filming hasn't yet begun but critics expect a release date sometime next year at the earliest.