John Lee Hancock will write and direct the movie version of Adrian McKinty's novel "Dead I Well May Be," The Hollywood Reporter said Wednesday.

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The book tells the story of an illegal immigrant from Ireland who goes to work as a mob enforcer in New York during the 1990s. The movie is being produced for Universal Pictures by Steve Golin and David Kanter, through their company Anonymous Content.

"This is a wonderfully written book focused on an Irish anti-hero who grew up amid the brutal civil wars of Belfast, and it's certain to add new depth to the action-film genre," Golin told The Reporter.

Hancock wrote and directed the 2004 historical epic "The Alamo," and directed the 2002 Dennis Quaid baseball drama "The Rookie." Anonymous Content has produced such features as the Adam Sandler-Drew Barrymore romantic comedy "50 First Dates" and the Oscar-winning Jim Carrey-Kate Winslet comedy "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."