The long-gestating film adaptation of Orson Scott Card‘s classic sci-fi novel Ender’s Game is in full swing with a solid director in Gavin Hood (Tstosi) and a stellar cast. Producer Roberto Orci has been providing regular updates on the progress of the film through his Tumblr production blog.

Yesterday Orci posted a picture of the film’s young hero Ender Wiggins with a monitoring chip implanted on the back on his neck. Check out the image here below.

Orson Scott Card‘s classic 1985 sci-fi adventure novel Ender’s Game has been targeted for the celluloid treatment for several years, at one point with Wolfgang Petersen (Das Boot) in the director’s chair. Last year, Summit Entertainment finally got an Ender’s movie into production with Gavin Hood (Tsotsi) directing and writing the screenplay adaptation.

The project has attracted a cast of acting heavyweights and up-and-coming young stars with 15-year-old British actor Asa Butterfield (Hugo) in the title role of a brilliant child who joins a program designed to produce military officers out of bright children for a war Earth is waging with an alien known as the Formics, or “buggers.” Joining Butterfield are Abigail Breslin (Zombieland), Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit), Ben Kingsley (Sexy Beast), recent Oscar nominee Viola Davis (The Help), and Harrison Ford – no stranger to fighting in interstellar wars on screen.

Another young actor has been added to the cast of Ender’s Game, the adaptation of the Orson Scott Card science fiction novel.

Brendan Meyer, star of the Disney XD TV series Mr. Young, has been chosen for the role of Stilson, a classmate of Ender (played by Hugo star Asa Butterfield) who bullies and taunts him while they are at Ground School.

Okay, things are officially getting interesting in the world of Ender’s Game.

THR is reporting that Ben Kingsley has joined the film’s cast, and will star opposite his Hugo counterpart Asa Butterfield, as a “legendary war hero presumed to be long dead.” Gavin Hood will direct from a script that he also wrote. Hailee Steinfeld is also connected to the project.

Another day, another Ender’s Game casting story.

Variety is reporting that Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) is currently in talks to star as the female lead in the upcoming Summit Entertainment-backed project.

Recently, it was revealed that both Asa Butterfield (confirmed) and Harrison Ford (rumored) were involved with the film, which will be helmed by Gavin Hood.