Now that Martin Campbell has taken over the reigns of the paranoid thriller Umbra (Joe Carnahan was set to direct but bowed out), the director reportedly has hired frequent colleague Paul Haggis to polish up a script that has passed through several hands on its way to the screen.

Deadline reports that Haggis has been hired to rewrite a story with undertones of Alfred Hitchcock’s finest. It centers on a businessman who receives a mysterious package, only to find himself under investigation as part of a large government conspiracy.

What happened to Carnahan? The Narc director, who has The Grey with Liam Neeson heading to theaters, dropped out of Umbra for personal reasons, according to Deadline’s report, but he left on amicable terms. Campbell’s a fine director, though it’s hard to say who would be better suited for the material until we learn more about the plot or the nuances of characters. Plus, Haggis could come in and rework the script entirely, keeping the barebones of the storyline but changing up expected twists.

I'm excited about the creative collaboration because Haggis and Campbell produced Casino Royale, the best James Bond movie I’ve seen since Sean Connery was in 007’s tuxedo. Yes, I mean that. So while this isn’t a Bond thriller – and Campbell recently helmed the uneven Green Lantern -- the idea of them collaborating on a suspenseful actioner is intriguing, to say the least. We’ll keep an eye on casting news and potential release dates, though it's still very early in the process, and Haggis has Paris on his radar, so stay tuned.