Oren Moverman, writer of Jesus' Son and I'm Not There, is set to make his directorial debut with The Messenger.

Mark Gordon and Lawrence Inglee will produce for the Mark Gordon Company, with Zach Miller and Ben Goldhirsh of Reason Pictures.

ContentFilm International will handle international sales. Shaun Redick and Nate Bolotin of The Collective helped to package the film, will executive produce, and will represent the North American rights. Sherzade Film Development is financing.

Ben Foster will star as a young army officer who falls in love with a soldier's widow.

Gordon said: 'The Messenger is an uplifting story that transcends borders by combining comedy and drama to convey a universal message of hope.'