Jake Gyllenhaal is to star in 'Snow Blind'.

Deadline is reporting that the 39-year-old actor is to star in the new thriller which is being directed by Gustav Moller from a script by Patrick Ness, who is adapting the story from a graphic novel by Ollie Masters.

A synopsis for Masters' story reads: ''For high school student Teddy, life in a sleepy suburb in Alaska turns upside down when he innocently posts a photo of his dad online, only to learn he and his family are in the Witness Protection Programme.

''A man seeking revenge invade their town, followed soon by pursuing FBI agents ... but what if his dad's reasons for going into the programme aren't as innocent as he says?''

Gyllenhaal will also serve as a producer on the project with Riva Marker for his Nine Stories banner.

Jake recently claimed that his late 'Brokeback Mountain' co-star Heath Ledger snubbed the chance to present at the Oscars.

The pair were asked to be involved in an opening for the 2007 Academy Awards that made fun of the film and while the 'Nightcrawler' star was happy to take the sketch ''in good fun'', his co-star - who died from an accidental overdose in January 2008 - refused to be involved because he didn't think the subject of the movie was something to joke about.

Jake recalled: ''I mean, I remember they wanted to do an opening for the Academy Awards that year that was sort of joking about it.

''And Heath refused. I was sort of at the time, 'Oh, OK ... whatever.' I'm always like: it's all in good fun. And Heath said, 'It's not a joke to me - I don't want to make any jokes about it.'

''That's the thing I loved about Heath. He would never joke. Someone wanted to make a joke about the story or whatever, he was like, 'No. This is about love. Like, that's it, man. Like, no.'''