Sharlto Copley, the South African actor who wowed audiences with his performance as Wikus Van De Merwe in Neill Blomkamp‘s District 9, is in talks to take the lead role in the DreamWorks adaptation of the upcoming young-adult science fiction book by James Frey and Jobie Hughes – entitled, I Am Number Four.

As we previously reported, Alex Pettyfer (Beastly) will be playing the the title role of Four, one of nine aliens who escape their home planet before its annihilation by a rival species and hide out on Earth disguised as human high school students. According to THR, Copley will play a man who hailed from the alien world’s serving class but now is the title character’s adult guardian and mentor.

I Am Number Four will be directed by D.J. Caruso (Eagle Eye), and Michael Bay will produce the film alongside Steven Spielberg. Al Gough and Miles Millar, the creators of Smallville adapted the screenplay from a planned six-book series to be introduced in the fall by HarperCollins Children’s Books.