Tom Cruise and Denzel Washington Collaborate for a New Spy Thriller

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the upcoming film is based on a spy-thriller novel by Robert Ludlum titled, "The Matarese Circle."

Cruise will play the Russian spy, Vasili Taleniekov, who is a rival of the American intelligence operative, Brandon Scofield, who will be played by Washington.

The movie's plot involves the two enemies who reluctantly have to join forces in order to go up against a political conspiracy which is caused by a mysterious organization called the Matarese.

The director of the film will be David Cronenberg, who also directed the 2005 film, "A History of Violence."

Ludlum's other novels that were turned into hit movies include the "Bourne" trilogy, which is based on the well-known factious character, Jason Bourne (played by Matt Damon).

Production is expected to begin this year, and the film will be released sometime in 2010.