Neil Marshall, writer/director of The Descent and Dog Soldiers, has started shooting in Cape Town for Doomsday for Rogue Pictures.

The action thriller is about a lethal virus that hits a major country. Bob Hoskins, Alexander Siddiq and Adrian Lester star.

Crystal Sky Pictures' Steven Paul and Benedict Carver are producing Doomsday for Rogue Pictures in association with Intrepid Pictures. Intrepid principals Trevor Macy and Marc D Evans are executive-producing with Peter McAleese.

The shoot will move to Scotland to Glasgow and Blackness Castle near Linlithgow.

The project has backing from Scottish Screen National Lottery Funding.

Celia Stevenson of Scottish Screen said: 'I am delighted we managed to secure the filming for Scotland. It is thanks to the close relationship we have with Historic Scotland and the Glasgow Film Office that we have pulled this off in face of fierce competition from other countries keen to attract such major filming.'