Barry Sonnenfeld has signed on to direct the high-concept comedy Nine Lives for EuropaCorp. Dan Antoniazzi and Ben Shiffrin wrote the screenplay, which centers on a workaholic businessman who becomes inexplicably trapped in the body of his family's cat. Here's what filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld had to say about the project in a statement.

"I'm very excited to be working with Christophe (Beck), Lisa (Ellzey), Luc (Besson) and the rest of the EuropaCorp team on this funny, emotional, commercial comedy. Perhaps I'll also get over my severe allergy and dislike of cats."

EuropaCorp will finance and produce Nine Lives, with the project set to be one of the first releases through their new distribution initiative Red, which EuropaCorp co-owns with Relativity Media. The Transporter Legacy, arriving in theaters this June, will be the first release through Red, followed by director Steven Quale's The Lake and Shut In starring Naomi Watts.

Lisa Ellzey is shepherding the production for EuropaCorp. Barry Sonnenfeld hasn't directed a film since the 2012 sequel Men in Black 3. EuropaCorp is coming off the success of their action sequel Taken 3, which took in $40.4 million on its opening weekend.