Kingsman: The Secret Service director Matthew Vaughn will stay in the spy game for his next project, an adaptation of the best-selling espionage thriller I Am Pilgrim, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The novel, written by Terry Hayes, follows a man who formerly ran a secret U.S.-intelligence espionage unit under the codename “Pilgrim.” The man is called out of anonymous retirement to investigate an elusive enemy that threatens the United States. The returning-veteran aspect sounds a bit like an Americanized Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, though Vaughn likely will trade in that film’s affinity for nuance for a gleeful dose of vulgarity and exploding heads.
Hayes adapted his own novel for the screen, as he’s also had a long, successful career as a screenwriter with credits like The Road Warrior, Dead Calm, and Payback. And since MGM envisions this property as a franchise, Hayes is already working on a second book about dear Pilgrim. Production is scheduled to begin in 2016, so Vaughn can probably wait a few months before he makes the inevitable call to Liam Neeson.