Screenwriter/producer Simon Kinberg and his pal Brett Matthews will soon be collaborating on a big science fiction epic for Universal, says Variety, and Mr. Kinberg compares the project to a sci-fi Jason Bourne exploit.

"Details on the thriller are being kept under wraps for now, but pic will be written by Matthews.

Kinberg says he came up with the story idea and began working on it with Matthews. "I developed it for a while, but Brett really made it his own and took it over," he said.

He wouldn't elaborate on the story except to say, "It's more thriller than big, broad action; more gritty than other sci-fi movies we've seen in the recent past. Almost what 'Bourne Identity' did for action movies, this will attempt to do for sci-fi movies."

"We wanted the science-fiction aspect of our story to be eerily plausible," Matthews said. "For the concept to be fantastic, but only until you really think about it.""

So who are Kinberg and Matthews?

Simon Kinberg has screenwriting credits on "xXx: State of the Union" and "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," plus he's presently hard at work on "X-Men 3." Brett Matthews has a little less experience ("The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury" and a "Bionicle" movie), but since he also wrote the 'Heart of Gold' episode of "Firefly," he clearly has some skills on the sci-fi-action front.