Filmmaker Matthew Michael Carnahan, known for the war drama Mosul, is set to direct The Gatekeeper, a thriller in development for Amazon MGM Studios and Di Bonaventura Pictures. The film is an adaptation of James Byrne's bestselling novel Deadlock and marks another high-profile literary-to-screen project drawing established Hollywood talent.

The story follows Desmond "Dez" Aloysius Limerick, an unconventional, multi-talented ex-operative who, after a chance encounter saving a reporter's life, uncovers a vast conspiracy and must stop those determined to protect their secrets. Although the character debuted in Byrne's novel The Gatekeeper, the film draws mostly on the second Dez Limerick book, Deadlock, published by Minotaur Books. The screenplay was adapted by Oscar-winning L.A. Confidential writer Brian Helgeland, with Di Bonaventura Pictures and Pouya Shahbazian producing.