MUMBAI: Lionsgate has acquired worldwide distribution rights of writer-director Stephen Gaghan‘s next film.

Gaghan, who last wrote and directed Syriana will produce and direct the untitled action thriller that deals about an elite deep cover operative who becomes a Brooklyn beat cop and fights a global organization. Gaghan is co-writing the screenplay with Shannon Burke.

Lionsgate executive Wolfgang Hammer brought the project to the studio and will oversee with production president Alli Shearmur.

Gaghan won an Oscar for his screenplay for Traffic. He also wrote and directed Abandon and worked on the scripts for Rules of Engagement, The Alamo and Havoc.

Lionsgate most recently released Gamer and Tyler Perry‘s I Can Do Bad All by Myself which has so far grossed $37.7 million at the box-office.