Nicholas Hoult is set to romance Rooney Mara in "The Discovery". Directed by Charlie McDowell, the film is a sci-fi love story set in a world where the existence of the afterlife is scientifically proven, AceShowbiz reports.

Hoult plays the son of the man responsible for this discovery and Mara plays a woman he falls in love with whose life is tinged by a tragic past. McDowell is directing from Justin Lader's script. They previously worked together in "The One I Love".

Shooting is slated to begin in January 2016 in Rhode Island. Protagonist Pictures will shop it around to international buyers at the American Film Market and co-finance the film with Endgame Entertainment.

Hoult is a face for sci-fi films such as "Equals" and "X-Men: Days of Future Past". He will next be seen in "Sand Castle", "X-Men: Apocalypse" and "Rebel in the Rye". Meanwhile, Mara is star of lauded drama "Carol" and will next be seen in "The Secret Scripture", "Lion" and "Blackbird (2016)" adaptation.