By Gregg Kilday
Fri Apr 18, 12:40 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Looking to develop its own homegrown franchises, Tom Cruise’s United Artists banner is embarking on a space odyssey with Ronald D. Moore, the man behind Sci Fi Channel’s “Battlestar Galactica.”

The studio has signed Moore to create and write an original sci-fi trilogy for the big screen.

Moore is an executive producer of “Battlestar Galactica,” whose April 4 season premiere attracted more than 2 million viewers — 40% more than the Season 3 finale.

His writing credits include the features “Star Trek: Generations” and “Star Trek: First Contact” as well as episodes of “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Roswell” and “Carnivale.” He also received a story credit on Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible II.”

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter (Source: Yahoo! News)