In March, Screen Rant reported that Summit Media had acquired the rights to the controversial Houdini biography, The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America’s First Superhero.

At the time, Summit Media indicated they wanted to produce a more action-oriented story about Harry Houdini, featuring the famous magician as an Indiana Jones-style adventurer. Given Summit’s vision for the film, it is unsurprising to report the company has tapped Jeff Nathanson to write and direct the Houdini movie.

Summit Entertainment has grabbed the rights to a biography by William Kalush and Larry Sloman, entitled The Secret LIfe of Houdini: The Making of America’s First Superhero. To capitalize on the magician’s name, the studio intends to make an action thriller – potentially nothing like the real performer.

Against the views of magic historians, the controversial book painted Houdini as a spy for early British Intelligence as well as being asked to be an adviser to Czar Nicholas II’s court in Russia. Though the book has some details right, he did investigate and debunk psychics and mediums, it also suggests his death was part of a spiritual movement as payback.