Robert Zemeckis has signed on to develop Taking Flight: The Hunt for a Young Outlaw. The director will take the reins from David Gordon Green, who was previously attached to the project, Digital Spy said citing The Hollywood Reporter.

Green dropped out to focus on his remake of horror classic Suspiria.

The 20th Century Fox film centres around 18-year-old Colton Harris-Moore, the so-called 'Barefoot Bandit' who became a cult hero after committing a string of crimes, sometimes without wearing any shoes.

Milk scribe Dustin Lance Black is working on the latest draft of the script.

Zemeckis will be overseeing the screenplay and developing Taking Flight as a potential directing vehicle.

The director most recently worked with Denzel Washington on Flight.