Also starring Ryan Reynolds and Rebecca Ferguson, the thriller will track a group of intergalactic space researchers who find life forms in a Mars sample, said The Hollywood Reporter.
"Deadpool" writers Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese are penning the script for the project.
Gyllenhaal has the Tom Ford drama "Nocturnal Animals," in which he stars opposite Amy Adams. He is also working on Lionsgate's Boston Marathon bombing drama "Stronger.