Helen Mirren's role in 'Eye in the Sky' originally written for male actor

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Oscar winner Helen Mirren returns to the big screen in the tense military drama "Eye in the Sky."

In the movie, she plays a colonel in command of a top secret operation aimed at capturing terrorists in Kenya. But when the military outfit learns their targets are planning a suicide bombing, she fights to change the mission from capture to kill.

However, a child is found lingering in the kill zone and suddenly the mission is in the hands of the highest level of U.S. and British government.

"Eye in the Sky" examines the political, moral and even personal implications of warfare today.

"Many people will come out of the cinema saying, 'I don't think she should have done that. I don't think that was right,'" Mirren said. "That's what we want people to do, actually, to discuss the issues afterwards because we are all complicit in these decisions. These decisions are made on our behalf."

The director, Gavin Hood, said Mirren's role was originally written for a man, but he kept seeing Mirren in his head. The movie also stars the late Alan Rickman and Aaron Paul.

"These sort of scripts don't come along every day. This is one of those films that I know will be on my shelf..." Hood said.

The movie hits theaters nationwide on Friday and is rated "R."