Attack the Block was the stellar indie hit that put director Joe Cornish on the map. The innovative action sci-fi comedy featured a cast of unknowns fighting what appeared to be an invading alien force. Now Cornish is confirmed to write and direct an adaptation of Neal Stephenson‘s Snow Crash over at Paramount. Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall will produce.

Stephenson’s novel centers on a futuristic world controlled by a corrupt corporation, where a deadly computer virus runs rampant and the only person who can stop it is a samurai/hacker/pizza delivery man named Hiro Protagonist.

The panel for Attack the Block on Friday at San Diego Comic-Con 2011 began with the Red Band trailer, linked below. The moderator then brought out director Joe Cornish, producer Edgar Wright, and lead actor John Boyega.

Cornish and Wright met in a DVD store, and ever since they’ve written together, including Steven Spielberg’s upcoming Tintin film.

Cornish was inspired by ’80s creature features like E.T., Aliens, and Gremlins, but wanted to set his film in a neighborhood he was familiar with, namely South London.