Joseph Kosinski's science fiction thriller Oblivion - his newest film after 2011's Tron: Legacy - arrives in theaters this Friday, but that doesn't mean leading man Tom Cruise is done working in the genre for the foreseeable future.

Cruise's next project - an adaptation of Hiroshi Sakurazaka's "light novel" All You Need Is Kill - began production this past fall to make its 2014 release date (and now looks to have great potential, thanks to the involvement of (Bourne IdentityDoug Liman and Looper star Emily Blunt). Even though that film is currently dominating his time, Cruise has already chosen his follow up project: Yukikaze, a live-action rendition of author Chohei Kambayashi's book series.

Cruise recently signed on to star in the movie for Warner Bros. (the same studio behind All You Need Is Kill), for which Erwin Stoff and Tom Lassally will serve as producers. This won't be the first time Kambayashi's story has been translated into a visual medium; between 2002 and 2005, Bandai Visual and Gonzo adapted his work in five movies, two of which received the Tokyo Anime Award for Original Visual Animation in 2003 and 2006. Warner Bros. looks to be distilling Kambayashi's work into a single picture at present, and no mention has been made of the film's potential theatrical release date.

Tom Cruise in 'Oblivion'

Yukikaze's plot unfolds in the 21st century, more than thirty years after the start of a war between humanity and an interloping alien race who invaded Earth  by using a dimensional portal over Antarctica. As the narrative begins, the defending force has repelled the aliens and taken the fight to their home planet through use of the same portal.

The title derives from the advanced tactical reconnaissance plane flown by the protagonist, Rei Fukai - most likely the character Cruise will be portraying in Warner Bros.' film. Sounds very much like the sort of role he can thrive in, and the popularity of both the anime and Kambayashi's novels make the whole endeavor sound pretty promising. Also, the fact that Yukikaze has the aesthetic design and feel of a futuristic Top Gun will probably be something that moviegoers take notice of.

Should the film go into production, it will mark the fifth (sixth if you count Vanilla Sky) sci-fi picture of Cruise's filmography, and his third straight in the wake of Oblivion (which has already opened in UK theaters for our friends across the pond).  Certainly Cruise isn't a stranger to the genre, but his sudden increased interest in sci-fi projects is worth taking note of; before Oblivion, his last foray into the genre was the 2005 film War of the Worlds. Cut to today, and it appears that Cruise can't get enough science fiction in his life. (Also deserving of consideration is the fact that Yukikaze, like All You Need Is Kill, finds its basis in a Japanese property.)

Not that anyone's complaining, of course - at least not at the moment - but that could change if Oblivion doesn't enjoy the same success domestically that it's receiving overseas. (Screen Rant's review will go live at the end of the week; in the meantime, watch the trailer again.) We'll keep you posted on more Yukikaze details as they become available - but what do you think about Cruise continuing to brand himself as a sci-fi fixture? Are you familiar with Yukikaze, and does Cruise's presence in the film excite you? Sounds off in the comments!

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Oblivion comes out in US theaters April 19th, 2013.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

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