Chris Cooper andRyan Phillippe have signed to star in Universal Pictures' true-life spythriller Breach,Billy Ray's follow-up to Shattered Glass.

The studio plansto begin production towards the end of this year on the story of a trainee FBIagent who is assigned to a top secret division and begins to suspect hisarrogant employer may represent a security risk to the nation.

Ray will writeand direct from his re-write of an original screenplay by Adam Mazer and BillRotko. Scott Kroopf will produce for Intermedia and Bobby Newmyer and ScottStrauss for Outlaw Films.

Universal'spresident of production Donna Langley, vice president of production DamienSaccani, and director of development Kristin Lowe will oversee the project forthe studio. Kroopf and Alison Haskovec will oversee for Intermedia.

Phillippe willnext be seen in Clint Eastwood's upcoming Iwo Jima wartime drama Flags OfOur Fathers and theterrorism thriller Five Fingers. Cooper will next be seen in the biopic Capote and the Middle East thriller Syriana.

Besides hisfeature directorial debut Shattered Glass, Ray wrote the screenplay for the upcoming thriller FlightPlan starring JodieFoster.

Phillippe isrepresented by UTA and Cooper is represented by Paradigm.