Fox Star Studios has signed a three-film deal with actor Akshay Kumar’s production house, Cape of Good Films. First on the slate is a space movie titled Mission Mangal, which will also feature Kumar in the lead, the studio announced on Monday.

Made in collaboration with filmmaker R Balki and directed by debutant Jagan Shakti, the film will be based on by the Indian Space Research Organisation’s Mars Orbiter Mission or Mangalyaan and will go into production in mid-November. The film will also star Sharman Joshi, Kirti Kulhari, Tapsee Pannu, Vidya Balan, Sonakshi Sinha and Nithya Menen, Kumar revealed on social media.

With the successful launch of the space probe on November 5, 2013, India became the first Asian country to reach the Mars orbit and the first country in the world to do so in its first attempt.

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“I am delighted to find a new creative partner in Fox Star Studios and am looking forward to creating a collaboration that will deliver a meaningful and entertaining cinematic experience,” Kumar said in a press note. “With our combined energies we hope to create content that not only excites but also empowers.”

Kumar will next be seen in Shankar’s science-fiction thriller 2.0, alongside Tamil superstar Rajinikanth.