AceShowbiz - George Clooney is reportedly in early talks to step back behind the camera and direct sci-fi film Echo.

Christopher MacBride has written the script for the film, which will centre on a drone specialist who begins to question if his lover has been replaced or if he is having a psychological episode.

Clooney last took over the director's chair for 2017's Suburbicon, which starred his pal Matt Damon, while he also shot the first episode of the upcoming miniseries adaptation of Joseph Heller's novel Catch-22, which is set to premiere next year (19).

The Gravity star has previously spoken about his desire to take on more directing gigs, because he is reluctant to see himself age onscreen.

"I think nobody wants to see anybody really ageing," he said. "It's a very unforgiving thing, the cameras, and so ageing becomes something that you know you try to do less and less on screen."

"You try to pick the films that work best for you and as you age they become less and less," he added. "It's really fun acting... but you know as you age on screen you get to that point that you really understand that you can't stay in front of the camera your whole life."

And he is keen to focus on his work behind the camera, which he has described as his "great love".

"It's much more fun to be, and it's infinitely more creative to be directing - infinitely more," he said. "It is my great love and I do enjoy it a lot and I've had some really great success and I've had some not so successful films, and that's also part of the experience."