Jeff Nathanson has been set to write and direct an adaptation of The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America's First Superhero, William Kalush and Larry Sloman's Harry Houdini biography for Summit Entertainment.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the book was published in 2006 by Atria Books, and made waves at the time for insinuating that Houdini was a spy for Britain and was asked to be an adviser to Czar Nicholas II's court in pre-revolutionary Russia. The book also portrayed the master escape artist and magician as a debunker of con artists who pretended to be spiritualists, leading to the theory that his death was caused by the spiritual movement as payback.

Summit, hoping to capitalize on worldwide recognition of Houdini's name while potentially launching a franchise, is looking to take a more action-adventure tack -- akin to the one taken by the upcoming Guy Ritchie-Robert Downey Jr. Sherlock Holmes movie.

No production date has been set.