Matthew Vaughn To Direct Spy Thriller I Am Pilgrim

Even though he’s busy developing a sequel to Kingsman: The Secret Service, that’s not preventing Matthew Vaughn from delving into other spy-related affairs, as MGM announced this morning that Vaughn will produce and direct the espionage thriller I Am Pilgrim.

Based on the novel by Terry Hayes, the story tracks the adopted son of a wealthy American family, who previously spearheaded a covert espionage operation for the US government. Brought out of his luxurious retirement lifestyle, he surrenders his anonymity to help on an unusual case that involves a heinous terrorist plot. With the entire US at stake, it’s a race against the clock to stop the bad guys before America is obliterated.

Vaughn’s name brings a certain cache to the project, and with plenty of high-profile screenwriting credits to his name, it’s not unsurprising that Hayes is attached to pen the script. Pilgrim is Hayes’ first novel in a planned series of books that MGM snapped up the rights to last summer. Whether or not the studio intends to orchestrate a whole new franchise based around the books is at this point pure conjecture. Although it’s not out of the question for studios to plot out sequels in advance, it’s likely that once I Am Pilgrim hits theaters, MGM brass will re-evaluate the property.