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. agent-zigzag-book-cover-01Variety notes that there’s no word on how high a priority Agent Zigzag lands on Bobin’s slate.  He recently entered talks to finally bring an adaptation of A Confederacy of Dunces to the screen with Zach Galifianakis in the lead, and he’s currently scripting a sequel to The Muppets alongside Nicholas Stoller.  One assumes the Disney property takes priority, but it’ll be interesting to see Bobin’s take on the spy genre when he gets to it. Here’s a synopsis for Agent Zigzag:

Eddie Chapman was a charming criminal, a con man, and a philanderer. He was also one of the most remarkable double agents Britain has ever produced. Inside the traitor was a man of loyalty; inside the villain was a hero. The problem for Chapman, his spymasters, and his lovers was to know where one persona ended and the other began. Based on recently declassified files, Agent Zigzag tells Chapman’s full story for the first time. It’s a gripping tale of loyalty, love, treachery, espionage, and the thin and shifting line between fidelity and betrayal. [Amazon]