Guillermo Del Toro to Write and Direct The Champions

Director Guillermo del Toro has signed on to bring the cult British science fiction TV series The Champions to the big screen for United Artists, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Del Toro will write and direct the adaptation, which is in the early stages of development. He also will produce the film along with Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner's C/W Prods.

The series, which ran for 30 episodes in 1968-69, revolved around the adventures of a trio of secret government agents whose lives were saved when their plane crashed in the Himalayas and they were rescued by an advanced civilization. The civilization also bestowed them with superhuman abilities.

This is the fifth high-profile film that has been set up at UA since Cruise and Wagner have taken over the studio.