Jonathan Rhys Myers is to star in 'Damascus Cover'.

The 'Mission Impossible III' star will take on the lead role in the espionage thriller, which is based on the 1977 novel by Howard Kaplan.

He said: ''I'm enormously excited about this role. This was a hugely significant time in the conflict in the Middle East, post-cold war and with the collapse of the Berlin Wall when an amount of spies were redeployed to the Middle East, where the theatre of covert operations would now take precedence.

''With a highly thoughtful and intelligent script by Daniel Berk and Samantha Newton I'm thrilled to be a part of this project and can't wait to start shooting with a very gifted international cast and crew.''

The 37-year-old actor has already joined Olivia Thirlby, Sir John Hurt and others in Morocco, as filming begins in the African country this week.

Speaking about her role, Olivia added: ''I'm thrilled to be a part of 'Damascus Cover'.

''It's an honour to collaborate with and work alongside such a diverse and talented group of individuals on a project that looks closely at a fascinating time in history. I am extremely excited to begin the shoot.''

The movie's plot follows the story of an undercover spy who is sent to Damascus to help a chemical weapons scientist and his family sneak out of the country. Soon, things turn bad for the man, as he becomes the target of murderous conspirators.

Join in the conversation about the film @DamascusCover #TrustInNoOne.

He's finally hitting the big screen!