Harry Styles at the 2015 American Music Awards (Photo: Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)

By Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter

In a casting move that can be described as boy band meets Battle of the Bulge, One Direction member Harry Styles will be joining the production of Christopher Nolan’s WWII action-adventure project Dunkirk.

There was an extensive search to find the film’s young leads. Along with Styles, English actors Jack Lowden and Aneurin Barnard are in talks to board epic production. Newcomer Fionn Whitehead has been cast in what could best be described as the lead role of the project but sources say the script is ensemble in nature.

Related: Christopher Nolan to Direct Action Thriller ‘Dunkirk’

The Warner Bros. film centers on the British military evacuation of the French city of Dunkirk in 1940, one of the biggest battles during the way. Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, and Kenneth Branagh are the bold names that will surround the newcomers.

Production on the film, which will be shot on 65mm large format film and Imax, will begin in May.

Dunkirk will be Styles’ feature film debut. Last summer, it was announced that One Direction would disband in 2016 and would not tour for their fifth studio album, so this casting may mark a career shift for the British recording artists, from the arena stage to the silver screen.

Related: One Direction to Go Their Separate Ways—But Promise to Reunite

Lowden recently appeared in BBC’s adaptation of War and Peace, while Barnard starred as King Richard in BBC-Starz miniseries The White Queen.

Styles is repped by CAA and Modest. Lowden is repped by Conway van Gelder Grant and UTA. Barnard is repped by The Artists Partnership.

Dunkirk is set to hit theaters July 21, 2017.

One Direction flashback: Watch the U.K. trailer for ‘This Is Us’: