Producers Chris Bolzli and Claudie Ossard are gearing up for their latest venture, Gagarin: Race For The Stars

The film will be a large European co-production and the producers are in Cannes to identify partners and funding opportunities.

The story takes place during the Cold War as ex-SS officer Werner von Braun heads the US space program while Segei Korolev is pushing his men on the Russian side. Yuri Gagarin, the first human to travel into outer space, becomes the hero of his people, but also a pawn in the battle for space supremacy between the US and the USSR.

The English-language film will be shot in Germany, Russia and Kazakhstan. The script is from Michael Thomas, who has previously worked on such films as Lee Tamahori’s The Devil’s Double and Tony Scott’s Man On Fire.

Bolzli and Ossard, who most recently produced Wim Wenders’ Pina together (Ossard also produced Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Amelie among others), are in talks with an A-list European director and are currently casting big-name international talent.