Brian De Palma to direct The Key Man

Brian De Palma will direct The Key Man, a thriller financed by QED International, TheWrap has confirmed.

With the De Palma deal closed, QED is starting to make offers to actors.

The movie, which Open Road will distribute, is about a man whose body contains answers to national secrets. Because of that, he is targeted by government agents.

De Palma is a master at building tension. He directed the 1976 Carrie, the 1980 Dressed to Kill, the 1983 Scarface, the 1987 The Untouchables, the 1993 Carlito's Way and the 1996 Mission: Impossible.

He even brought tension to the weird 1984 Body Double, which featured the Frankie Goes to Hollywood song Relax.

His more recent work, however, has been less distinctive.

His 2006 The Black Dahila grossed $49.3 million worldwide on a budget estimated at $50 million, and his 2000 Mission to Mars grossed $110.98 million worldwide on a budget estimated at $100 million.

Joby Harold wrote Key Man. Bill Block, Paul Hanson, Joby Harold and Tory Tunnell are producing it.

Deadline first reported the news.