Oscar-winning writer Christopher McQuarrie has signed up for two high-profile writing projects for United Artists: Champions and The Monster of Florence.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Champions is derived from a late-'60s British television series about a group of government agents who encounter a hidden civilization that grants them superhuman talents. McQuarrie is hashing out the script with Guillermo del Toro, who will also produce the film but is not attached to direct.

The Monster of Florence tells the strange-but-true tale of popular author Douglas Preston and Italian journalist Mario Spezi, who began investigating a series of unsolved murders in Italy and wound up implicated in the case. Two years ago, McQuarrie optioned the film rights to Preston and Spezi's ensuing best-seller along with producers Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen (American Beauty). Cruise may take one of the leads in The Monster of Florence.

No production dates have been set.

Champions was released in 2010.