RED Director Dean Parisot Circles HOUDINI Feature

Helmer in talks for Houdini film.

Deadline has learned that Dean Parisot (‘RED 2,’ ‘Galaxy Quest’) has entered into negotiations with Summit Entertainment to step behind the camera for the studio’s long-in-development Harry Houdini feature.

Scripted by Noah Oppenheim and based on William Kalush and Larry Sloman’s biography ‘The Secret Life of Houdini, the Making of America’s First Superhero,’ the tale paints Houdini as more than a master illusionist: He was a spy and a true renaissance man across the globe.

Filmmakers Joe Wright (‘Anna Karenina,’ ‘Atonement’) and Gary Ross (‘The Hunger Games’) were previously linked to the project.