Glenn Close and Gemma Arterton are to star in zombie thriller, She Who Brings Gifts.

The actresses will join Paddy Considine in the big-screen adaptation of Mike R Carey’s 2014 fantasy novel, The Girl With All The Gifts.

Gemma Arterton
Gemma Arterton (Ian West/PA)

Colm McCarthy, who has directed TV shows including Peaky Blinders, Sherlock, Doctor Who and The Tudors, will make his feature-length directorial debut with the film, which has been written by the author himself.

The story, set in a dystopian future in which most of humanity is wiped out by a fungal infection, tells the tale of Melanie, a 10-year-old girl with a genius-level IQ and special powers.

The book won critical acclaim, with Avengers filmmaker Joss Whedon describing it as “heartfelt, remorseless and painfully human… as fresh as it is terrifying. A jewel.”

Paddy Considine
Paddy Considine (Ian West/PA)

She Who Brings Gifts is scheduled to start shooting in the UK in May.

Producer Camille Gatin said: “It’s hugely exciting to combine Mike Carey’s truly original script and Colm McCarthy’s dynamic yet sensitive style, with such a terrific cast.”

Will Clarke from Altitude Film Entertainment added: “She Who Brings Gifts is a smart take on the sci-fi genre and with a humanity which will draw a young adult audience and those already aware of Mike Carey’s best-selling novel.”

Glenn Close
Glenn Close (Jordan Strauss/Invision)

Six-time Oscar nominee Glenn, who has completed a run in Broadway play A Delicate Balance, previously starred in Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy, while Gemma is currently starring alongside Ryan Reynolds and Anna Kendrick in The Voices.

Paddy, the Bafta-winning director for Tyrannosaur, was in the hit drama Pride and will next star in Macbeth with Michael Fassbender.