Taken director Pierre Morel has lined up a new international action film.  Heat Vision reports that Morel is in talks to helm the tantalizingly named The Hitman’s Bodyguard.  The story centers on a protection agent who is tasked with guarding a hitman awaiting a chance “to testify against a war criminal and ex-head of state of an Eastern European country.”  The success of the “opposites interact” project will likely depend on what actors are cast in the two leads.  Tom O’Connor (Fire with Fire) wrote the script.

Since Taken, Morel has only directed one other feature, 2010’s From Paris with Love.  He was previously attached to helm the international thriller Bastille Day, but is apparently no longer involved with that project.  He’s also on the shortlist of directors that Sony is eyeing for the Denzel Washington-fronted adaptation of the CBS series The Equalizer.

Director Pierre Morel has been set to helm the actioner Bastille Day.  Vendome Pictures and Anonymous Content announced today that they will be producing the film from a screenplay by Andrew Baldwin.  The story centers on “a young American artist living in Paris and a washed up CIA agent who together are tasked with diverting an imminent attack on the city.”  Morel is no stranger to international thrillers as he previously helmed the “Liam Neeson is a badass” film Taken.  He most recently directed the decidedly less awesome actioner From Paris with Love starring John Travolta.

Baldwin has been a hot screenwriter as of late, gaining notice for his Black List script The West Is Dead.  He’s been working on the script for the Logan’s Run remake for director Nicholas Winding Refn and Warner Bros. is moving forward with his period Yakuza pic The Outsider with Daniel Espinosa (Safe House) attached to direct.  Hit the jump to read the full press release concerning Bastille Day.