Actress Sophie Cookson has landed the female lead role in Matthew Vaughn's adaptation of Mark Millar's comic series The Secret Service where she will join Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Tamara Egerton and Michael Caine, reports Variety.

Sophie Cookson
Cookson In TV Series, Moonfleet.

Cookson, a relative newcomer to acting, is best known for Sky's adventure TV miniseries Moonfleet alongside Ray Winstone. Kick-Ass director Vaughn decided that he wanted to cast a fresh face who he feel really fit the part, over better known names such as Emma Watson and Bella Heathcote. Whilst potentially risky, this was a choice he opted for in Kick-Ass with Chloe Moretz and Aaron Taylor-Johnson and in Layer Cake with Daniel Craig.

Matthew Vaughn
Matthew Vaughn's 'Unknown Names' Strategy Has Paid Off In The Past.

The Secret Service, due on release late 2014, will follow a veteran secret agent (Firth) who takes a young upstart (Cookson) under his wing to learn the ropes. Cookson's representatives, Curtis Brown, indicate that the young actress learned her skills on stage, playing Desdemona in a production of Othello. She has also starred in romantic drama Unknown Heart, adapted from Rosamunde Pilcher's novel of the same name.

Colin Firth
Colin Firth Will Play The Veteran Secret Service Agent.

Other names to be associated with the film include Adele, David Beckham and Taylor Swift. A source speaking to The Sun said "He wants the highest-profile names in various fields to boost the film's cause and turn it into a mega-money franchise," which, if true, is slightly contradictory to Vaughn's 'fresh faces' strategy.

Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson Is Also Set To Star In The Secret Service.

The Secret Service will be adapted from Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons' seven part graphic novel series. Scottish writer Millar is known for his work on books such as The Authority, Kick Ass and Marvel Knights Spider-Man. The story of a lower class teen who's recruited by a British intelligence officer to save the world has been described as "My Fair Lady meets James Bond" by the author speaking to Slash Film.