Robert De Niro, Shia LaBeouf In Talks For ‘Spy’s Kid’

Robert De Niro and Shia LaBeouf have entered negotiations along with Disturbia director D.J. Caruso for the film Spy’s Kid, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

On Monday, the website noted Caruso, who has worked with LaBeouf before on Disturbia and Eagle Eye, is in negotiations and that the actors’ involvement would depend on the script, but both have expressed interest.

The film will be based on a six-part series of articles that ran in The Oregonian during 2011 and focused on an aging spy, who enlisted the aid of his son to continue his work.

Writer Bryan Denson was the mind behind the articles, but he nor any other writer has been hired to handle the script.

The true story involved a 20-year veteran of the CIA, Jim Nicholson, who was convicted in 1996 of spying and sentenced to a 23-year prison term. The conviction made him the highest-ranking officer ever to be convicted of espionage.

Nicholson began a series of meetings with son Nathan in 2004 that at first served as consolation for his son’s failed career in the Army. From there, he began to coach his depressed boy down the path of spy games and effectively relaunched his “career” from his prison cell.

For a year and a half, Nathan traveled the world selling secrets to the Russians under the guidance of his dad. (Just the kind of heartwarming tale that would be perfect for a Father’s Day release.)

For the entire series of articles containing what we can only presume are major spoiler alerts, head over to The Oregonian and check it out, or just watch this video introduction of the events if you don’t want too much revealed. Still, spoilers, people.

While Spy’s Kid develops, Robert De Niro is staying busy with six films scheduled for release this year and two already lined up for 2014 — Grudge Match with Sylvester Stallone and Hands of Stone, another true story flick based on the life of boxer Roberto Duran.

Shia LaBeouf’s 2013 is considerably less active with Nymphomaniac and The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman on the horizon.

Will Spy’s Kid be a must-see film event for you, and do you think Shia LaBeouf and Robert De Niro are a good screen pairing?

[Image via cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com]