Houdini biopic in the works at Paramount from Transformers producers

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts duo Lorenzo Di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian are producing a Houdini biopic about the legendary escape artist and illusionist Harry Houdini. The plot of the film is still under wraps, but according to Deadline, the story will be set in the early 20th Century and have a Sherlock Holmes tone, treating Houdini as a human superhero-like figure. The script for the untitled biopic is being written by Neil Weidener and Gavin James, who are currently working on Jerry Bruckheimer’s Beyblade film.

Known as one of history’s greatest escape artists, Harry Houdini dazzled audiences by escaping everything from standard handcuffs to a straight jacket while hanging upside down. One of his most famous escape attempts involved him being buried alive. The act was so intense that Houdini almost suffered a mental breakdown during the near-death experience.

Houdini has been portrayed by several actors for past film adaptations, including Tony Curtis, Harvey Keitel, Paul Michael Glaser, Adrien Brody, Michael Weston, and Michael Dreyer. The latest film to focus on the life and times of Harry Houdini was 2007’s Death Defying Acts, starring Guy Pierce and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Di Bonaventura and Vahradian are currently in post-production on Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, which was directed by Steven Caple Jr. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is set roughly seven years after the events of Bumblebee and follows two archaeologists who get mixed up in a war between the Maximals, the Predacons, and the Terrorcons. We’ve also heard that parts of the story will take place in Brooklyn as well as Machu Picchu, Peru. The film stars Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Luna Lauren Vélez, Tobe Nwigwe, and Peter Cullen as the voice of Optimus Prime. Ron Perlman will also star as the voice of Optimus Primal.

Are you stoked to hear that another biopic focusing on the life and times of Harry Houdini is in the works? Let us know in the comments section below.