Casino Royale lead helmer Martin Campbell attached to direct. Based in part on the classic collection of Arabian folk tales One Thousand and One Nights, the new movie is based on a screenplay developed by Mansur Ahmed and Ehud Bleiberg - with an additional draft penned most recently by Dave Holstein.

Bleiberg, Danny Dimbort, and Nicholas Donnermeyer are producing Treasure of Ali Baba & The 40 Thieves with frequent Campbell collaborator Robert K. MacLean in tow, while Marc Bikindou and Tiffany Boyle will serve as executive producers. Bleiberg and Dimbort will also secure worldwide sales rights for the new film, and are currently targeting buyers in Toronto.

According to Deadline, the Campbell directed feature film will serve as the second project co-produced with MacLean, Dimbort, and Bleiborg - with the first being the forthcoming Ernest Hemingway adaptation Across the River and Into the Trees. Following his work next spring on the formerly cited drama, Campbell is expected to turn his full attention to Treasure of Ali Baba & The 40 Thieves. The logline for Treasure of Ali Baba reads as follows:

An adventure novelist gets caught up in a global conspiracy and a hunt for a mysterious antiquity after discovering that his father had a map to the legendary treasure of Ali Baba. He must team up with a brilliant cartographer to locate the artifacts before they fall into the hands of the 40 Thieves - an ancient group who has quietly become a powerful, international syndicate of criminals in high-ranking corporate positions.

Speaking to his enthusiasm in directing Treasure of Ali Baba & The 40 Thieves, Campbell stated, "This is a great opportunity to do something with international appeal and huge franchise potential. I want this to be my Indiana Jones." And following the theatrical release of the Jackie Chan thriller The Foreigner later next month, here's to hoping that Treasure of Ali Baba pans out well for everyone involved.

Banking on Treasure of Ali Baba & The 40 Thieves becoming a blockbuster hit to match the likes of the Indiana Jones franchise is ambitious to the say the very least. Campbell is definitely a capable studio filmmaker, but the hyperbolic hope that he holds for the forthcoming One Thousand and One Nights inspired movie obviously remains to be matched by the reality of the production when it finally gets underway sometime within the next couple of years.

Screen Rant will keep you updated with any information related to Treasure of Ali Baba & The 40 Thieves.

Source: Deadline