Riz Ahmed leads cast of sci-fi thriller Invasion for Amazon Studios

Riz Ahmed will star alongside Octavia Spencer in just-announced Amazon Studios feature-length thriller, Invasion, which has been co-written by rising British director Michael Pearce.

Invasion is the story of two boys who go on the run with their father, an ex-marine played by Ahmed, as he tries to protect them from an "unhuman threat", reports Deadline. The story takes them on a journey that children shouldn't have to face and their lives will be changed forever – if they survive.

Director Pearce won the Outstanding Debut BAFTA in 2019 for his Jess Buckley-starring movie Beast and he has co-written the script with Joe Barton (The Ritual, Girl/Haji). Amazon Studios has taken up the worldwide rights to Invasion and will produce it alongside US company Raw and film funder Film4.

London-born rapper and actor Ahmed starred in Michael Winterbottom's The Road to Guantanamo in 2006, Chris Morris' Four Lions in 2010 and Ill Manors in 2012 and his star has been in the ascendent since he earned an Outstanding Lead Actor Emmy and a Golden Globe nomination for The Night Of mini-series in 2016 and had a major role in Star Wars spin-off Rogue One.

He is preparing to play Hamlet in a London-set modern adaptation of Shakespeare's play.

Spencer, who won the Best Actress Oscar in 2012 for The Help, will reportedly play a probation officer who is trying to help the dad come home.

Amazon Studios is hoping to start filming Invasion later in 2020.

Check out our lists of the best movies and TV shows on Amazon Prime Video, or visit our TV Guide if you’re looking for more to watch.