After he shot to fame in “The Lord of the Rings,” it seemed like Orlando Bloom was in starring in every other big-budget film. His star dimmed a bit, and he hasn’t really been attached to any blockbuster projects in the last year. But it looks like 2009 is set to be a bit of a comeback for him, as Variety reports that he has just signed on to star in “The Cross” alongside Olga Kurylenko (”Quantum of Solace”), and Vincent Cassel (”Eastern Promises.”)

Directed by Andrew Niccol, the film is set in a border town in the near future, but story details are vague. Bloom will play a man seeking to be the first person to cross a mysterious border. Cassel will play a border guard determined to stop him, and Kurylenko is simply “the female lead.”

The film will begin shooting this summer in Australia, and will be a relatively low tech sci-fi film, as it only has a budget of $24 million. But considering some of the best sci-fi movies were made on an indie shoestring (”Mad Max” anyone?) that really might work in its favor. Plus, it will be refreshing to see Bloom in something action-oriented that doesn’t involve swashbuckling and swords.

Are there still some Orlando Bloom fans out there among our female readers, or did you desert him for Robert Pattinson? Is anyone interested in seeing Bloom tackle a sci-fi thriller, or did he wear out his welcome?