Paul Greengrass has signed on to direct The Tunnels for FilmNation Entertainment, based on a new book proposal by Greg Mitchell.

The book tells the untold true story of a covert escape mission, where West Germans tried to get their friends and family out of East Berlin. Their group received surprising support from an American news organization, who funded their efforts. Mark Gordon is producing alongside FilmNation.

Here's what FilmNation's Aaron Ryder had to say about the project in a statement.

"Finding an untold true story of this caliber is such a rarity. Greg's proposal will make for a very human and cinematic experience. We have no doubt that Mark's producing and Paul's directing will make audiences around the world as excited about this film as we are."

Producer Mark Gordon had this to say in his statement.

"Paul and I have been looking for a project to work on together for some time. Separately, we have both been fascinated by stories around the Berlin Wall. While the wall fell in 1989, its consequences are still being felt today. We are thrilled to be working with FilmNation to bring this emotional story to the screen."

Paul Greengrass most recently directed Captain Phillips and we reported in September that he may return to direct a new Jason Bourne movie starring Matt Damon.