Director James Bobin is now onboard to direct the spy film Agent Zigzag.  The Muppets director will helm the adaptation of the Ben McIntyre novel for New Line and Playtone Pictures, with Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman producing.  The story centers on a professional criminal who became a double agent during World War II.  “He won the trust of German intelligence services even as he reported back to the spymasters of MI5.”  Rowan Joffe (Brighton Rock) was hired to write the script early last year for Mike Newell (Prince of Persia) to direct, but it appears Newell is no longer with the project.

Agent Zigzag is a bit of a change of pace for Bobin, as last year’s The Muppets was his feature directorial debut following stints on comedy series like Da Alie G Show and The Flight of the Conchords, but the novel apparently includes farcical elements.  Hit the jump for more, including a synopsis of the novel.

Writer-director Rowan Joffe (Brighton Rock) will pen the adaptation of the non-fiction novel Agent Zigzag for director Mike Newell (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time)  Per Deadline, “Agent Zigzag tells the true story of Eddie Chapman, a suave thief/seducer who became a double agent during WWII working for both Germany and Britain.”  I love that “seducer” is on the same job title as “thief” and “double-agent”.  I hope Mr. Zigzag put that on his resume.

In addition to Brighton Rock, Joffe also wrote the screenplay for The American and 28 Weeks Later.  In September, we reported that he has been hired to adapt Steve Watson’s debut novel Before I Go to Sleep. Last week, Newell signed on to direct a new adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations.  Hit the jump for a synopsis of the novel.