Risky Battle

Hamish Linklater has reportedly joined the cast of Peter Berg's sci-fi naval thriller "Battleship" says The Wrap.

Based on the classic board game, the story revolves around an international fleet joining forces to battle a water-bound armada from outer space.

Linklater will play a scientist opposite Taylor Kitsch who stars as a "wildly spirited" Naval commander named Alex Hopper who is much more a sailor than a politician.

Jon and Erich Hoeber wrote the script

True Blood's Alexander Skarsgård plays Alex's brother, a straight and narrow naval officer whom Alex looks up to Joel William Gonzales Rihanna and Tom Arnold co star.

The casting comes as an article from The Hollywood Reporter says the project is sitting on a budget of $200 million or more, which makes it a big gamble for Universal Pictures.

Berg, Sarah Aubrey, Scott Stuber, Brian Goldner and Bennett Schneir are producing the pic.

Shooting kicks off later this month in Hawaii.