Overture Films has picked up North American rights to Constantin Film and Impact Pictures' sci-fi thriller Pandorum starring Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster.

Constantin is financing the project under its joint venture with subsidiary Impact. Summit Entertainment is handling international sales and will introduce to buyers at Cannes.

Filming is set to begin in Berlin in August. Germany's Christian Alvart, who made a splash at Tribeca 2005 with his horror film Antibodies and is working on Paramount's horror tale Case 39 starring Renee Zellweger, will direct the story.

Pandorum centres on a pair of astronauts who awaken on board a spaceship with no idea of their identities or any sense of the significance of their mission.

Quaid will next be seen in Universal's American football drama The Express while Foster, who made a name for himself in 3:10 To Yuma and Alpha Dog, is shooting wartime romance The Messenger.

Producers Paul W S Anderson and Jeremy Bolt of Impact are reuniting with Constantin's Robert Kulzer, their collaborator on the Resident Evil franchise. Dave Morrison serves as executive producer.