Kate Mara will star opposite Johnny Depp in 'Transcendence'.

The '127 Hours' actress has joined the cast for cinematographer Wally Pfister's directorial debut, which will also star Paul Bettany and Rebecca Hall, reports Variety.

Although plot details for the project are being kept under wraps, the sci-fi movie is expected to centre around a scientist whose brain is uploaded into a supercomputer to create the world's first free-thinking machine.

Mara recently starred in Netflix drama 'House of Cards' and her previous credits include 'Shooter', 'American Horror Story' and the forthcoming movie 'Deadfall' with Eric Bana and Olivia Wilde.

Ironically, the actress' younger sister Rooney Mara, best known for playing Lisbeth Salander in David Fincher's adaptation of 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo', was considered for the role that eventually went to 'Iron Man 3' star Hall.

The film is being produced by Alcon Entertainment and distributed by Warner Bros.

Pfister's long time collaborator, 'The Dark Knight' director Christopher Nolan is set to executive produce along with Emma Thomas and Aaron Ryder.

The script was written by Jack Paglen, while the screenplay was developed by Annie Marter and Straight Up Films.