Director Tom Hanks.

The director of "Darkest Hour" is set to helm an adaptation of “In the Garden of Beasts” for StudioCanal and Hanks' Playtone Productions.

The project is based on Erik Larson’s nonfiction bestseller. It centers on William Dodd, a mild-mannered Chicago professor who is named U.S. ambassador to in 1933, on the cusp of the second World War.

At first, he and his family embrace life in Berlin, but soon, Dodd learns of Hitler and the government's violent treatment of Jews. His concerns are ignored by the State Department, even as Dodd realizes the scope of the Nazis' horrific plans.

Wright helped shepherd Gary Oldman to a Best Actor Oscar win for playing Winston Churchill in "The Darkest Hour." And Hanks is no stranger to WWII projects, having starred in and/or produced "Saving Private Ryan," "Band of Brothers," and "The Pacific."