Photo of Sam Worthington via Getty

Sam Worthington, perhaps best known as Jake Sully from Avatar, has been cast as one of the leads in the upcoming film adaption of William Paul Young's bestselling novel The Shack.

The actor joins Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer, who was revealed last month to be playing the role of God in the Lionsgate picture.

Having sold 19 million copies worldwide, the widely acclaimed but controversial book follows a man whose daughter is abducted and murdered on a family vacation. Four years later, he receives a letter believed to be from God inviting him to a shack where his daughter's bloodied clothing was discovered years ago. He ultimately visits the shack and it sets in motion a series of life-changing events.

Production for the film is expected to begin in a matter of weeks.