A first photo of Oscar-winning actor Ben Kingsley as half-Maori war hero Mazer Rackham in upcoming sci-fi epic Ender's Game has been released.



Kingsley sat down with a Maori expert, who explained the meaning of his moko.



"Every gesture in the tattoo carries family history, family struggles - it's your past," the actor told Entertainment Weekly.



"I was so enthralled. He's in quite a contained, stylized uniform but then this wonderful face tells his warrior history," Kingsley said about Rackham, an almost mythical presence in Orson Scott Card's 1980s bestseller.



"There's quite a lot said about him in the story before you see him - by the recruits and by his fellow officers - and that's useful as far as preparations."



Card's novel takes place in the future, after humanity has survived a war with an alien species.



In preparation for the next invasion, the International Fleet trains the best young children to find the future leader of the International Military.



Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), a shy but strategically brilliant boy is their biggest hope. After showing his ability in many difficult tasks, he is trained by Mazer Rackham (Kingsley) to lead the military into a war that will determine the future of Earth and the human race.



The film also stars Harrison Ford, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin and Viola Davis.



It is set to arrive in cinemas in November.