Hailee Steinfeld In Negotiations For Ender’s Game

True Grit star Hailee Steinfeld is currently in negotiations to join the cast of the upcoming sci-fi adaptation of Ender’s Game. If chosen, the Academy Award-nominated actress will play the female lead, Petra Arkanian, who is the only girl in the Salamander Army.

First Showing is reporting that if Steinfeld is cast, she’ll join already cast actor Asa Butterfield, who can currently be seen as the title character in Martin Scorsese‘s first 3D film, Hugo. Butterfield will play the titular Ender in the film, who quickly becomes allies with Petra.

With Steinfeld and Butterfield’s combined talents, Ender’s Game already looks promising. It will be interesting to see the young actress switch genres, from Western to sci-fi. But if her role of Mattie Ross in True Grit is any indication of her career, she’ll surely thrive in any role she takes on.

Ender’s Game was was adapted by and will be directed by Gavin Hood, from Orson Scott Card’s novel of the same name. The book follows Ender Wiggin, who’s skilled in strategy and logistics. Ender is trained to battle an insect-like alien race, in anticipation of a future invasion.

The film is scheduled to begin filming early next year, and Summit Entertainment is slated to release the film in March 2013. Do you think Hailee Steinfeld is right for the role of Petra Arkanian? Let us know in the comments.