Scottish actor-producer Gerard Butler is set to essay the role of a sniper in his next film, titled The Nest.

The action film is produced by Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee under Thunder Road alongside Butler and Alan Siegel, producing under G-BASE, with Steve Klinsky producing under Untravelled Worlds, according to entertainment news outlet Deadline.

Butler, known for his roles in projects such as Olympus Has Fallen and Den of Thieves, will feature as a sniper who receives an anonymous threat over the radio.

He must race against a ticking clock in order to save his family and 70,000 fans at the biggest sporting event on the globe – the World Cup.

The film is directed by Ric Roman Waugh and will have the script penned by Aaron Benjamin. It is based on real-life operatives.

Butler's latest work is Greenland: Migration, which released in January. The sequel also starred Morena Baccarin.