“Bumblebee” director Travis Knight has been tapped to direct “The Six Billion Dollar Man,” the modernized update of the 1970s TV series “The Six Million Dollar Man,” for Warner Bros., an individual with knowledge of the project tells TheWrap. Both are based on the novel “Cyborg” by Martin Caidin.
Sue Kroll, Bill Gerber and Stephen Levinson are producing. Bill Dubuque wrote the most recent draft of the screenplay. The previous draft was written by Argentinian filmmaker Damian Szifron, who was also previously attached to direct and left the project due to creative differences.
Mark Wahlberg is set to star as former military officer Steve Austin, who becomes a secret agent after he suffers a horrific accident and his life is saved by cutting-edge bionic implants that grant him extraordinary abilities. Previously, Mel Gibson was offered the part of Oscar Goldman, the military liaison who mentors Austin.
Warners bought the rights to the project in 2017 after the Weinstein Company bankruptcy.
Knight, who has earned critical acclaim for animated films like “Kubo and the Two Strings,” most recently directed “Transformers” spinoff “Bumblebee” for Paramount.
Knight is repped by CAA.
Variety first reported the news.