Hany Abu-Assad to helm film adaptation of The Good Spy

Oscar-nominated Palestinian-Dutch filmmaker Hany Abu-Assad will direct the film adaptation of The Good Spy.

The 2014 book by Kai Bird is a biography about CIA operative Robert Ames. It recounts hour-by-hour the bombing at the US Embassy in Beirut in 1983. Ames, who lost his life during the attack, became a symbol and beacon of peace, and someone who respected the customs, culture and history of the diverse region he hails from.

The official description reads, "He was America’s top intelligence officer for the Middle East, and he desperately wanted to bring peace to the region, even if it meant befriending the 'enemy.'"

xXx: Return of Xander Cage-writer Scott Frazier has adapted the book to screen. Frazier will also executive produce the film alongside Laurie MacDonald and Walter Parkes. Oscar-winner Evan Hayes will produce the film via his Anomaly Content & Entertainment production company. Rocket Science is financing the film and will co-represent worldwide sales with CAA Media Finance.

Abu-Assad is well-known for his two Best Foreign Film Oscar nominations, one for his 2005 film Paradise Now—which told the story of two Palestinian men preparing for a suicide attack in Tel Aviv—and one for 2013's Omar—which told a tragic love story set in occupied Palestine. His other previous film credits include The Mountain Between Us, starring Kate Winslet and Idris Elba.

The Good Spy is yet to have an official release date.